Case Report

Effectiveness of simple body image evaluation and manipulation for chronic pain: a case report

Nobuyuki Arai, MD, Manabu Yoshimura, MS, Sayako Yamamoto, MD, Hiromasa Abe, MD, Kozo Hanayama, MD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 12: 15-18, 2021

Introduction: We report a case in which chronic pain was successfully relieved using a new simple body image evaluation and body image manipulation based on the evaluation results.
Case: The patient, a man in his 60s, accidentally sustained a left ulnar trunk fracture and left hand degloving injury at work. Occupational therapy for approximately 2 years could not completely relieve pain in the ring finger (allodynia), causing difficulty in changing clothes and driving a car. Images of the left and right ring fingers were compared and manipulated using bandages to make the two images similar. Allodynia was reduced (visual analog scale 10 cm -> 3.6 cm), and the ability to change clothes and drive a car improved.
Discussion: The bandage presumably changed the tactile and visual information inputs of size, weight, length, thickness, and thickness and reconstructed the perceptual-motor loop.

Key words: chronic pain, body image manipulation, body image evaluation, QOL

Contents (volume 12)