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For another example, VS Ramachandran has shown that some people who have lost a limb experience significant pain in a phantom limb. And the pain can over time be significantly reduced and even eliminated with mental exercises.

With that in mind, I don't think it's anti-scientific to think there may be legitimacy to other mind-centered approaches to pain relief.

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Yep great example, didn't remember to mention that too.

To expand on your point for others about mental exercises: if you experience pain, say, in your leg during a squat, if you mentally visualize doing a squat, and imagine doing it while not feeling pain, and practice doing that visualization, that will help you feel less pain when you actually get around to doing a squat.

Another way I've heard people treat phantom limb is by getting a tall standing mirror, so that their other limb in the mirror looks like their missing limb. And then they will move their limb and that will help treat the pain they feel in their phantom limb.

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