Not sure of the relevance to your comments Barrett, but I have been discussing with some fellow PT's the work done with phantom limb pain and pain associated with the absence of sensory input in the hemiplegic arm.

Some fellow Pt's have told me about work done using a mirror placed to the side of the absent limb/inattention or limb with sensory loss. In this way the eyes see a reflection of the good limb when moved and are tricked into believing it is the injured limb.

Some have postulated that where there is an absence of sensory input the brain tends to a representation of contracture and that the brain may believe the limb is contracted even when it is flaccid. Using the mirror has been suggested to influence this by letting the brain think the limb is not contracted and therefore the pain reduces.

Comments?