Restoration of Reduced Self-Efficacy Caused by Chronic Pain through Manipulated Sensory Discrepancy

Abstract

Human physical function is governed by self-efficacy, the belief in one's motor capacity. In chronic pain patients, this capacity may remain reduced long after the damage causing the pain has been cured. Chronic pain alters body schema, affecting how patients perceive the dimension and pose of their bodies. We exploit this deficit using robotic manipulation technology and augmented sensory stimuli through virtual reality technology. We propose a sensory stimuli manipulation method aimed at modifying body schema to restore lost self-efficacy.