Most amputees experience phantom limb, whereby they feel that the amputated limb is still present. In some cases, these experiences include pain that can be alleviated by "mirror therapy." Mirror therapy consists of superimposing a mirrored image of the moving intact limb onto the phantom limb. This therapy provides a closed loop between the motor command to the amputated limb and its predicted...

While phantom limb pain is a well-recognized phenomenon, clinical experience has suggested that the augmentation of phantom limb pain with visceral stimulation is an issue for many military personnel with amputation (visceral stimulation being the sensation of the bowel or bladder either filling or evacuating). However, the prevalence of this phenomenon is not known. The aim of this study was t...

Following amputation, 50% to 90% of individuals experience phantom and/or stump pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may prove to be a useful adjunct analgesic intervention, although a recent systematic review was unable to judge effectiveness owing to lack of quality evidence. The aim of this pilot study was to gather data on the effect of TENS on phantom pain and stump pai...

OBJECTIVE To provide a mechanism-based acute pain management strategy for early phantom limb pain following traumatic amputations and to collect first evidence of its acute and potentially preventative effects on the formation and maintenance of phantom limb pain. The combination of continuous brachial plexus analgesia and prolonged block of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors over 4 weeks ai...

OVERVIEW Phantom limb pain can be a devastating consequence of an amputation. It is often a chronic, disabling condition. This chapter reviews the etiology, pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of phantom limb pain and discusses known risk factors for this condition. Even though many physicians have been frustrated by the inability to control phantom limb pain, promising new therapies are...

Objectives: This study aims to describe the prevalence and characteristics of phantom limb pain and residual limb pain following upper limb amputation. Methods: One-hundred and forty-one participants (139 males; mean age 74.8 years; mean time since amputation 50.1 years) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing residual and phantom limb pain experience. Results: Prevalence of phantom lim...