Immersion in the virtual world makes life easier for patients with paralysis of limbs

Swiss experts have demonstrated technology to relieve paralyzed patients from phantom pain.

Phantom pain visits patients with paralysis of the lower limbs very often. Its essence lies in the fact that despite the absence of any tactile sensations below certain vertebrae, patients experience severe pain in paralyzed places. More precisely, it seems to them that the pain comes from there. The difficulty in stopping such attacks is that there are no drugs for phantom pains, and people are forced to put up with similar difficulties throughout their lives.

To confirm their invention, scientists conducted experiments in which they put glasses on patients so they could see virtual reality.In this new world, a person could see his legs (artificial legs were previously filmed on camera). Further, in the course of the experiment, specialists carried out parallel light tapping on the necessary vertebral areas and on virtual extremities. As a result, the patient received two promises at once - tactile and visual.

In the case of phantom pains, the visual aspect of the medical procedures on the patient has a stronger impact than tactile. Seeing his paralyzed limb and having a hypothetical ability to manage it, the patient at the subconscious level is able to straighten or relax the leg, thereby removing the pain syndrome.

In order to influence the patient in the necessary degree, it is required that he was in virtual reality for only 2-3 minutes.

Project manager Olaf Blanke expects that with his invention it will be possible to make life easier for many people suffering from phantom pain syndromes in paralysis of various parts of the body.