Final answer:
The claim that phantom limb pain isn't real and shouldn't be reported is false. Phantom limb pain is a genuine experience, and treatments such as the mirror box developed by Ramachandran utilize the brain's neural plasticity to help relieve this pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Phantom limb pain is not real pain so it does not need to be reported to the nurse.' is False. Phantom limb pain is indeed a real phenomenon experienced by individuals after losing a limb. The pain comes from the brain and nerves that originally served the missing limb.
Dr. V.S. Ramachandran developed a therapeutic device known as the mirror box to help treat phantom limb syndrome. This treatment involves using a mirror to reflect the existing limb, so the brain perceives that it is observing and controlling the missing limb. This can alleviate the pain by 'tricking' the brain and utilizing its plasticity, the ability to adapt or change its neural pathways.