Massage Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain: Feasibility and Pilot Study

"Individualized 20-minute, Swedish massage to address participant's unique phantom limb pain experience as if occurring on the corresponding, non-amputated limb. A specially designed apparatus is positioned such that a fixed, real-time image in place of the amputated limb is viewed by the participant during the massage session. The apparatus has a mirror, masking material to hide therapist and participant's lower body, electronic video display, electronic video camera, and equipment to electronically communicate the video signal to the video display. The mirror and video camera positioned to see a reflection of the existing limb being massage feds the image to a live video display situated in front of the participant to the correct orientation naturally represent the missing limb."