Seeing your scans can ease joint pain

PEOPLE with arthritis could get relief from their pain by looking at visual illusions that change the size of their aching joints.

A study at the University of South Australia found that people with osteoarthritis of the knee reported up to a 40 per cent reduction in pain after repeatedly looking at the image of the knee and lower leg.

The researchers say their findings add to a growing body of evidence that being able to see what’s going on inside our bodies — in this case, damaged joints — can significantly reduce pain, and that in this case, pain isn’t just about damage to the joint but is perhaps partly psychological, too.

The study was published last month in the journal PeerJ.