>>> 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.