Arthritis is an affliction that leaves those reeling with pain even with the simplest of tasks. Thanks to inflamed joints, people's lives are disrupted. In fact, there are around 10 million people in the United Kingdom who are suffering from this ailment, while in the United States, the figure is at a staggering 50 million.

Currently, the way to treat arthritis is through various medications, and surgical operations. However, based on a study by Laura Case of the University of California, San Diego, a simple mirror could do the trick in reducing arthritis' pains.

The newest way in dealing with the joint pains is through mirror box therapy. This sort of therapy is usually advised as a treatment to those who are suffering from phantom limb pains by using mirrors to trick the patient's brain into thinking they were actually moving their hand or limb. But based on Case's findings, the mirror box can also help reduce hand pains in patients with arthritis.

In their study, Case and her colleagues had patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in their hands. The patients' hands underwent a variation of mirror visual feedback therapy.

Positioning their hands before and behind a mirror, it appeared that the patient's healthy hand was where the other should be. The participant was then asked to mimic the slow hand movements made by an instructor, so in a way, the participant felt as though the reflected hand was his or her own.

Through this simple procedure, Case said that many patients reported a reduction in pain and stiffness during the illusion. The researchers also tried another visual feedback procedure wherein a patient viewed his or her hand through a shrinking lens which was also reported to reduce pain, but not as effectively as the mirror therapy.

Meanwhile, other reports also suggest that the mirror box therapy can be used to treat those with paralysis and muscle weakness after a stroke, reported ReachAndHope.com.

In a study done in 2008, 40 patients with an average age of 62 were tested within a year of their stroke. Results showed that the patients who underwent mirror therapy in addition to conventional therapy had significant improvements.

Living with Arthritis

Even with the discovery of new ways to treat arthritis, there are still some basic steps that people can take to reduce further damage on their joints, according to ArthritisCare.org.uk. Some of these steps are:

1. Have a healthy diet - have a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables, starch and fiber, and is low in fat and salt, and low in added sugars. By eating right and losing even a pound could reduce the extra pressure that the extra pounds have

2. Exercise - people with arthritis benefit just by walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, doing yoga or Pilates

3. Examine self - study what triggers the arthritic pains: pace one's self, and avoid straining the joints as well as being in one position for a long time