According to a new study, displaying an illusion of a healthy can significantly reduce the pain suffered by arthritis sufferers.

Seeing healthy limbs causes the brain to believe that the joins are less stiff and painful. The technique can be used to help millions of arthritis sufferers without using medication. The treatment could provide a simple alternative to the steroids or painkillers.

In the study, researchers from the University of California in San Diego used the technique on eight patients and they fell less pain by an average of one-and-a-half points on a ten-point scale only after a one minute of treatment.

In the study, the researchers asked the patients with arthritis in their right hand to place it on a table and it was blocked from view with a mirror. Then the researcher puts their left arm on the table showing the image of the arm where the patient’s arm should be seen.

The patients were asked to copy the movements of the researchers like opening and closing palm. The illusion sent signals to the brain telling it that the hand is patient’s and thus it reduced the pain.

Laura Case, who led the research, said: "Our findings suggest that simple and inexpensive materials like mirrors could be used to reduce the pain and suffering caused by this common disease. Many patients reported a reduction in pain and stiffness during this illusion."

The findings of the study were announced at Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington DC.