The brain changes as a result of chronic pain, but because the brain is very "plastic" in that it is able to reorganize neural pathways throughout life, it might be possible to reverse the process.
Rehabilitational psychologist Shimon Shiri and neuroscientist Uri Feintuch from the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Occupational Therapy developed a novel virtual reality system called VirHab to recover motor functioning among post-stroke patients. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be used to monitor brain processes.
VirHab can also be used to help stroke victims recover movement of their limbs, relieve migraine and tension headaches and fight chronic pain.
"Headache-sufferers learn to relax constricted muscles and learn to associate between relaxed behavior and the image of themselves as pain-free," Shiri said.
The clinical trial on headaches is due to begin in two months.
link: Hadassah tries to 'trick the brain' with virtual reality to treat physical ailments
Thursday
Virtual Reality to Help with Migraine and Tension Headaches and Chronic Pain
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