Introduction to the Study

If you’ve ever been to a magic show, you know how easy it is to “trick” your brain into seeing something that isn’t quite there. Now, a new study published in the journal Pain Reports has unveiled an effective but unusual illusion that has exciting implications for pain management.

What is the Rubber Hand Illusion?

The researchers were exploring a phenomenon known as the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) — which involves placing a fake hand on a table in front of someone while their real hand is hidden from view.
A new study on the Rubber Hand Illusion has exciting implications for pain management. Microgen – stock.adobe.com
Scientists have previously found that when both hands are temporarily brushed at the same time, many participants begin to experience sensations in the rubber hand as if it were part of their body.

Methodology of the Study

In this new study, the researchers used heat and light instead of touching — 34 participants were presented with a rubber hand that glowed red while their actual hand, hidden behind a screen, received heat at various temperatures that ranged from pleasant to painful.
Participants used their other hand to rate their levels of pain and — in the control group — the rubber hand was flipped upside down.

Findings of the Study

What they found was that — when the rubber hand was facing right side up — participants reported less pain as quickly as 1.5 seconds into the illusion and the effect continued as long as the illusion went on.
The study sheds fascinating insight into the way the brain’s integration of visual and sensory information can be manipulated to alleviate pain. Tatiana Shepeleva – stock.adobe.com
“We showed that the perceived pain intensity was reduced in the rubber hand illusion condition compared to the control condition,” lead author Martin Diers, a professor of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, said in a statement.
“The findings suggest that when people perceive the rubber hand as part of their own body, this reduces their perception of pain.”

Getting the Latest Breakthroughs

Get the latest breakthroughs in medicine, diet & nutrition tips and more.

Subscribe to our weekly Post Care newsletter!

Thanks for signing up!

Understanding the Illusion

The study sheds fascinating insight into the way the brain’s integration of visual and sensory information can be manipulated to alleviate pain.
Another reason the illusion is so successful may be due to visual analgesia — a studied phenomenon in which simply looking at a body part that is in pain reduces your perceived intensity of that pain.
However, Diers noted that “we still don’t fully understand the neural basis for this phenomenon.”

Conclusion

Still, their findings could potentially pave the way for some non-pharmaceutical alternatives for treating chronic pain — and that’s a relief in itself.

FAQs

Q: What is the Rubber Hand Illusion?
A: The Rubber Hand Illusion is a phenomenon where a person experiences sensations in a fake hand as if it were part of their body.
Q: How does the illusion work?
A: The illusion works by placing a fake hand in front of a person while their real hand is hidden from view, and then using heat and light to create a sensation.
Q: What are the implications of the study?
A: The study has implications for pain management, potentially paving the way for non-pharmaceutical alternatives for treating chronic pain.
Q: What is visual analgesia?
A: Visual analgesia is a phenomenon where simply looking at a body part that is in pain reduces your perceived intensity of that pain.