POV: Occupational Therapy Lab

Manchester 1st year Occupational Therapy (OT) students practice using mirror boxes and virtual reality (VR) to help treat limbs with persistent or phantom pain. This practice-called graded motor imagery-aims to require the brain by tricking it into thinking the pained limb is doing the same work as the healthy limb. The technique is often used to help patients who have had neurological events like strokes or amputations.
This illusion of seeing a hand moving is powerful for the brain. This is why athletes are often encouraged to visualize themselves doing a stunt before attempting it or why you feel exhausted after watching an action scene in a movie.