AsiaLIFE

Amputee Stephen Sumner lost his leg in a hit-and-run accident eight years ago. Plagued by excruciating phantom pain from his missing limb, he found relief by discovering mirror therapy. Ellie Dyer meets the Canadian national, who has come to Cambodia to spread word of the treatment. Photography by Dylan Walker.

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Stephen Sumner lay in agony by a deserted road in rural Italy for four and a half hours following the hit-and-run accident that would lead to the amputation of his
left leg. Though his chance rescue by a passing acquaintance saved Sumner’s life, it did not end his suffering.

Following a coma, the amputation of his leg above the knee, and radical surgery to his arm, the former professional cyclist recovered only to be wracked by almost unbearable waves of pain emanating from his missing leg.

Such phantom pain is often experienced by amputees, especially those who have lost limbs in traumatic circumstances, and can be severe.

“As an athlete, I’ve broken so many bones in my body – but nothing compares to phantom pain. Everyone experiences it differently, but 80 percent of amputees experience it in some way or another,” says the 51-year-old Vancouver resident during a recent trip to Phnom Penh.

“For me, the pain rippled off the top of my toes and was like a vice over the back of my heel. It was like it was being crushed.”

For four years, the pain arrived in crippling electrical pulses – sometimes lasting up to 72 hours at a time. “I was unable to sleep and screaming all the time. I could have killed myself,” says Sumner.

Following one lengthy bout of pain, he realised that “it [the pain] wasn’t going to go away on its own” and resolved to act. He decided to try mirror therapy, a remedy that he had only heard about.

The treatment was invented by neuroscientist Dr Vilayanur Subramanian Ramachandran in the 1990s. The therapy involves holding a mirror beside an amputee’s existing limb and asking them to move their remaining leg or arm. At the same time, the patient visualises moving their missing limb to match the mirror-image.

Devotees say the therapy tricks the brain into thinking a missing limb exists again and is healthy and able to function effectively, thus reducing painful nerve impulses. Though not all medical practitioners support the practice, it has become an established therapy and has been used by amputees all over the world, including United States veterans of the Iraq War. For Sumner, who bought a mirror from his local store while living in Mexico, the treatment has changed his life.

“The first time I tried it I could almost hear the synapses cracking – it was obviously working,” he says, waggling his foot as a demonstration of his technique.

Four years on, after regular sessions, he lives his life mostly pain-free and is determined to help others do the same, especially in land-mine-ridden Cambodia where amputees are all too common.

For the last month, Sumner – who was the inspiration for a film based on his life called Phantom Pain - has been cycling around the Kingdom with homemade mirrors strapped on the back of his trusty bike, as part of a self-funded mission to inform others of the therapy.

As well as telling his story to various NGOs, including international students at the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics in Phnom Penh, he has talked about his experiences to amputees on the streets of Siem Reap.

Despite the language barrier, Sumner says he has achieved positive results connecting with landmine victims. Instead of experiencing pain, Sumner now gets pleasure from helping others manage theirs.

“Mirror therapy is unknown here for the most part,” he says. “I feel very lucky and in a very unique position to be able to do this. There is a huge amount of gratification when you get through to people.”

To read Sumner’s blog, visit meandmymirror.org.

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