After taking four months off work, due to my lower limb amputation and rehabilitation, and then returning part-time, I’m pretty much back to full-time now. Even so, there are still times where I need to take a scheduled time-out for appointments.
Thankfully, I don’t have anywhere near as many as I did when I first started back a couple of years ago. I’m now down to a fortnightly physio appointment (which concentrates on movement) and a separate fortnightly appointment specifically to address phantom limb pain.
Phantom limb pain is a fascinating, yet sometimes maddening, phenomenon experienced by many amputees. Essentially, you feel as though the amputated limb—in my case, my lower right leg—is still there. For some, the pain can be quite severe, though thankfully my experience has never reached those intense levels.
However, I have certainly had very consistent phantom limb pain over the past couple of years, which often wakes me up in the middle of the night. It’s a very strange, persistent feeling, a bit like a bad cramp.
To help tackle this, I’ve been participating in a clinical trial looking at various treatments. The treatment I’m currently focused on revolves around brain plasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections.
It’s about working with the brain’s “plasticity” to recognise that you can actually control a lot of your physical reactions through mental focus. It feels quite similar to the mindfulness exercises I’ve been practising since my time in hospital. You know the ones: you sit down, focus on your breath and bodily sensations, and consciously calm your system. It’s truly brilliant for stress relief.
As part of this, there is Mirror Therapy, a technique I briefly encountered in hospital, but am now exploring in depth.
Up until now, the trial has involved preparatory exercises, like focusing on limb sensitivity—recognising what a foot looks like, its placement, and various other sensory prompts. It’s fascinating stuff!
Today, however, was the first experience of actual Mirror Therapy.
Here’s how it works:
A mirror is placed between your legs, effectively hiding the amputated limb. When you look into the mirror, you see a full reflection of your intact limb, making it appear as though you have two complete legs.
The exercises then involve both real and imagined movements. You might be asked to move your intact limb while simultaneously imagining the missing limb is moving in the reflection.
It was such an interesting and rewarding experience today. This technique, aimed at “tricking” the brain into reintegrating the phantom limb, is now one of my main focus areas for the next few weeks.
I usually make up for the time spent in appointments by working a little earlier or later in the day. But today, after the session, I decided to take an extended lunch break and treat myself.
I caught the bus down to Coogee—it was an absolutely stunning day! The beach was gleaming. It was glorious to sit at the Pavilion, enjoy some lunch (and a glass of wine, to be honest!), and just soak up the sunshine. Watching everyone enjoying their Friday afternoon was the perfect way to reset before diving back into work.
A little bit of brain work, a little bit of beach work. A good Friday, all round.
The mirror therapy sounds interesting. The brain is an amazing organ.
Yes, though part of me wishes it was mirror ball therapy!