Arai N, Yoshimura M, Yamamoto S, Abe H, Hanayama K. Effectiveness of simple body image evaluation and manipulation for chronic pain: A case report. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2021; 12: 15-18.

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.