What is Mirror Therapy?

90% of limb amputees experience phantom limb pain, where people feel pain in the limb that is no longer there.

This pain may come from a disconnect between the brain's commands and the feedback received from the body.

For example, when the brain commands the leg to move, it also expects a response, such as seeing or feeling the leg move.

However, for limb amputees, when the brain doesn't get this response, it can lead to tingling, discomfort, or even pain.

Mirror therapy is a treatment that tricks the brain into thinking it sees the limb move — using a mirror image of the other side.

(image of mirror therapy)

A Free App for Mirror Therapy

Typically, mirror therapy involves the use of a mirror at home or in the clinic. But what if you could do it on your phone?

Here at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, we are medical students and clinicians working on a free app for mirror therapy.

Our app uses your phone camera to display the mirror image and offers a simple page to track your improvement over time.