A person sometimes may have to make an unfortunate decision of getting a body part removed because of any accident or other reason. After the removal, there have been noted incidents where the patient has felt the pain or sensations coming from a body part that is no longer there. That pain is termed as phantom pain.

Misconceptions:

    Earlier most people and the doctor felt that there is no such thing as phantom limb pain rather it is a psychological disorder that patients have developed. But studies proved otherwise and experts starting recognizing it. They say that these are real sensations that originate in the spinal cord and brain. At first, it was only limited to those people who have their arms or legs removed, but this disorder was noted to be present in people who have undergone surgeries to remove other body parts (eyes, breasts, tooth etc) as well.

Symptoms and signs of phantom limb pain:

    The first and foremost symptom of phantom limb pain is that patient feels the pain in the limb that is physically not there. A patient may also often feel tingly, cramps, prickly, burns, itchy or hot and cold sensations. Sometimes, the patient feels like their missing toes or fingers are moving. There have been cases where the patients have complained that their missing limb is getting shorter than the other.

    Sometimes patients feel the same sensations and pains which they had felt before the amputation of that limb in the amputated limb.

    The intensity of phantom limb pain varies from person to person. For some people, there is a slightly acute pain but for some, it can be really painful. Cases have been recorded where the patient has only felt the presence of the removed limb and have not felt any pain. This is known as phantom limb sensation.

There are certain things that can worsen the phantom pain such as:

  • Infections and tiredness.
  • Swelling of the part of the arm or leg that is still there.
  • Poor body flow.
  • Change in weather.

If the patient has got an ill-fitting artificial limb or if they are putting so much pressure on the parts of limbs that are still there, the pain could get worse.

Characteristics of phantom limb pain:

  • Sometimes it is continuous and sometimes it just comes and goes.
  • A patient sometimes feels that their amputated part is forced to be in a position rather uncomfortable.
  • The pain may be worsened by stress or emotional outburst.
  • It is often triggered if excessive pressure is put on remaining limb.

Experts say that phantom limb pain will fade away slowly and slowly. Its intensity decreases with the passage of time. In some cases, it may not completely vanish but in many cases, patients have not complained of feeling the sensations and pain after the initial phase of amputation of the limb.

DISCLAIMER: The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.