phantom pain

You've heard of phantom pain experienced by amputees? Someone recently shared a story with me.
A man who lost his right hand at the wrist went to a specialist in pain management. He had the constant pain of a fingernail digging into the palm of his right hand. The doctor created a box of mirrors with holes for the man to insert his left hand up to his wrist and right wrist. Then he had the patient open and close his left hand and observe the image of his "right hand" opening and closing. After hours of this exercise the pain in the right hand went away. The nerve that had delivered the pain message was re-patterned! Without meds, without surgery....
What a story! What a concept! 

How many times do the tears from emotional pain return? Or the call from a long forgotten addiction? Or the ghost of depression? Every pain is unique to the patient, the injury, the circumstance. Once healed we still can be visited by the "phantom". 
But just think about how using a reprogramming exercise can spell relief. Give your brain, that amazing body part, permission to re-pattern a hurtful, unnecessary message. Look in the mirror, open up and love the one you see.

Oh the possibilities.