Many treatments may be tried and can include applying heat, massaging the area of the amputation, and biofeedback to reduce muscle tension in the residual limb. Other treatments that can be tried are acupuncture , medicines such as anticonvulsants and antidepressants , and sometimes surgery to remove scar tissue entangling a nerve. Usually, the best approach is to combine multiple treatments. Other treatments may include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS of the residual limb.
Sometimes using TENS on the portion of the limb that is still present can help with phantom limb pain. You may benefit from physical therapy and use of an artificial limb prosthesis.
One treatment that is becoming more popular is mirror therapy. For this therapy, you place a mirror so that the reflection of your intact limb looks like your missing, or phantom, limb. You then look at this "virtual" limb in the mirror. And when you move your intact limb, without pain, your brain "sees" painless movement in the phantom limb. Mirror therapy may help some people who have phantom limb pain. The studies done so far have been small, and the results have been mixed.
The onset of this pain most often occurs soon after surgery. It can feel like a variety of things, such as burning, twisting, itching or pressure. It is often felt in fingers or toes. It is believed that nearly 80 percent of the amputee population worldwide has experienced this kind of pain. The length of time this pain lasts differs from person to person. It can last from seconds to minutes, to hours, to days. For most people, PLP diminishes in both frequency and duration during the first six months, but many continue to experience some level of these sensations for years.
Unlike pain that is caused by trauma directly to a limb, PLP is thought to be caused by mixed signals from your brain or spinal cord. This is an important concept to consider, because the treatment for this pain has differences from the treatment you would receive for other kinds of pain. Causes The exact cause is not known.
Risk Factors This problem is more common in adults. Other things that may raise the risk are: Pre-amputation pain or infection A blood clot in the amputated limb Previous damage to the spinal cord or the peripheral nerves of the affected limb Sudden amputation from trauma, such as an accident The type of anesthesia used during the amputation Symptoms The symptoms are felt in a limb that is no longer there.
Phantom limb syndrome may cause sensations of: Shooting, stabbing, piercing, or burning pain Pleasure, such as from a light touch Pressure The limb still being attached and working normally Numbness, tickling, or cramping Diagnosis The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. Treatment Phantom limb syndrome is often brief. Options are: Medicine Medicine that may be given to manage symptoms include: Pain medicine Muscle relaxants Antidepressants Anti-seizure medicine Antipsychotics Electrical Nerve Stimulation Electrical nerve stimulation may help calm nerve signals.
Examples are: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS —a tiny electric current is sent through the skin to nearby nerves Transcranial magnetic stimulation—a strong magnetic pulse is sent through the scalp into the brain Spinal cord stimulation—an electrode is inserted near the spinal cord to ease pain Other Methods Other methods that may help are: Regional sympathectomy—surgery to interrupt selected nerves near the spinal cord Biofeedback Stress relaxation methods Exercise Prevention There are no known methods to prevent this health problem.
Cancer Care. Emergency Services. Cesarean Birth. Imaging Services. High Blood Pressure. Laboratory Services. Maternity Services. Hip Replacement. Primary Care. Type 2 Diabetes. In other words, because the amputated area is no longer able to receive sensory information, the information is referred elsewhere — from a missing hand to a still-present cheek, for example.
So when the cheek is touched, it's as though the missing hand is also being touched. Because this is yet another version of tangled sensory wires, the result can be pain. A number of other factors are believed to contribute to phantom pain, including damaged nerve endings, scar tissue at the site of the amputation and the physical memory of pre-amputation pain in the affected area. A poorly-fitting prosthesis may also cause pain, though this is typically considered a cause of residual limb pain.
Not everyone who has an amputation develops phantom pain. Some factors that may increase your risk of phantom pain include:. Because the risk of developing phantom pain is higher for people who have experienced pain in the limb before amputation, some doctors recommend regional anesthesia spinal or epidural in the hours or days leading up to amputation. This may reduce pain immediately following surgery and reduce the risk of lasting phantom limb pain. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Phantom pain is pain that feels like it's coming from a body part that's no longer there. Residual limb pain. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Benzon HT, et al. Phantom limb pain.
0コメント