>>> FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM

PAIN IN THEIR LIMBS OR HAVE

ALTOGETHER LOST THE ABILITY TO

USE THEM, ONE UNIQUE TYPE OF

THERAPY MAY OFFER RELIEF.

THROUGH THE USE OF A SIMPLE

MIRROR, THE BRAIN CAN BE TRICKED

INTO PERCEIVING A DISABLED LIMB

AS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND

WITHOUT PAIN.

SOME PATIENTS EVEN EXPERIENCE

RELIEF AFTER JUST A SINGLE

SESSION OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS

MIRROR THERAPY.

REPORTER BRIANA VANNOZZI HAS THE

STORY.

>> SO HIS BRAIN IS THINKING THAT

IT'S HIS RIGHT HAND THAT'S DOING

IT.

SO WE'RE USING THAT ILLUSION.

>> THERE'S NO FANCY TOOLS, NO

HIGH-TECH GEAR, JUST A PATIENT,

A THERAPIST, AND A MIRROR.

>> WE USE GRADED MOTOR IMAGERY

TO WORK WITH PATIENTS WHO HAVE

EITHER LOST THE ABILITY TO USE A

LIMB OR HAVE PAIN IN THE LIMB.

>> I HAVE AN ONGOING CONDITION

OF BOTH SPINAL STENOSIS, WHICH

IS A TIGHTENING OF THE CANAL

INSIDE YOUR SPINE THAT KIND OF

PRESSES ON YOUR CORD, AND IT

BLOCKS THE MESSAGES FROM YOUR

BRAIN.

OH, FIRST TRY.

>> GOOD.

>> BASICALLY, PART OF IT IS THE

MIRROR THERAPY WHERE YOU ARE

USING AN IMAGE OF THE GOOD ARM

AND YOU'RE IMAGING IT IN THE

MIRROR AND TRYING TO TRICK THE

BRAIN.

IT'S LIKE AN ILLUSION THAT

YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR OTHER

HAND.

>> SEVERAL SURGERIES AND MORE

THAN A YEAR LATER, BOB

MCKEEFERY, A LONGTIME FISHERMAN,

WAS LEFT WITH CONSTANT PAIN AND

LITTLE MOBILITY IN HIS RIGHT

HAND.

>> I COULD MOVE MY RIGHT ARM,

BUT I COULDN'T MOVE MY RIGHT

HAND.

SO THREE OF MY DIGITS, THE LAST

THREE, WERE LIKE FROZEN SHUT AND

TWO WERE FROZEN OPEN.

>> HE STARTED THERAPY JUST A

WEEK AGO, AND THE GRADED MOTOR

IMAGERY, OR MIRROR THERAPY,

PROVED AN INSTANT SUCCESS.

>> THERE WE GO.

THERE WE GO.

>> ALL MY PAIN.

A YEAR'S WORTH OF PAIN WENT AWAY

IN ONE DAY.

>> THERE IS A MEMORY THERE AND

THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED

PATHWAY, THAT IF YOU CAN TAP

INTO THAT USING VISION AND THE

ILLUSION, THEN HOPEFULLY YOU CAN

ESTABLISH PATHWAYS OR EVEN USE

OTHER PATHWAYS.

>> BOB IS USING MUSCLES AND

PERFORMING MOVEMENTS HE THOUGHT

TO BE LONG GONE.

>> IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE LAST WEEK

FOR ME TO DO THIS.

I COULD NOT -- PALM UP.

THERE WE GO.

>> THE BRAIN IS FOCUSING

DIFFERENTLY ON THE LIMB AND

POSSIBLY SENDING DIFFERENT

MESSAGES.

WHEN I WORK WITH PATIENTS,

THEY OFTEN SAY THEY FEEL A

CONNECTION, A DIFFERENT

CONNECTION WAS MADE.

>> PATIENTS TAKE THE MOVEMENT

THERAPY HOME AND USE IT IN

CONJUNCTION WITH OCCUPATIONAL

AND VISUALIZATION THERAPIES.

>> FOR TEN MINUTES A DAY,

SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, THEY THINK

OF SOMETHING THAT THEY USED TO

DO WITH THAT ARM THAT REALLY

MEANS SOMETHING TO THEM.

>> FOR BOB --

>> IT WOULD BE PICK UP MY

GRANDCHILDREN, WHICH I'M NOT

ALLOWED DURING THIS CRISIS.

AND THEY ARE 1 AND 3.

>> HE'S ONE STEP CLOSER.