Treating Phantom Pain in an Amputee

Each year, many Americans suffer from illness, disease and injury that, ultimately, results in the amputation of a limb. Whether a hand, arm, foot or leg, the amputation of an extremity is a life altering procedure that will forever change not only the mobility of the amputee but also the medical care required.

One such aspect of amputation surgery involves the development of chronic pain syndrome after the amputation has taken place. Commonly know as phantom pain, this post-operative pain component is not uncommon in most amputees.

Difficult to describe, most amputees will report phantom pain as a tingling, itching or strange sense of movement in the area where the amputated body part used to be. For many patients, the condition is commonly seen immediately after surgery and, in some patients, becomes chronic and never ceasing.

When caring for a loved one who is suffering from phantom pain, it is important to understand the condition is not life threatening and generally poses no health risks. However, because the pain is chronic and recurrent, it can be bothersome to the amputee and, thereby, attribute to some emotional or psychological complications.

To treat phantom pain, most patients will require the use of neuropathic pain medications that work to control, to some extent, the hypersensitivity of the pain receptors in the body, in addition to the use of psychotropic medications, including anti-depressants.

Without appropriate treatment, some amputees will develop chronic pain syndromes and, ultimately, lead a life of significant disability, becoming dependent on others and feeling depressed over the loss of independence. But, when treated appropriately and early in the post-surgery care process, these same amputees, often, experience a full resolution of the phantom pain within a few weeks of surgery at which point they can then focus on the new dynamics of the physical abilities.

With that said, there has been much speculation over the use of morphine pumps and similar equipment in the care of chronic pain in the amputee patient. While these durable medical units are certainly important to the overall control of chronic pain in our society, they are often not indicated in the patient who suffers from phantom pain.

As with any significant, life altering condition, the key to optimal health outcomes lies, in part, in the education and understanding of the post surgery outcomes. For individuals who require an amputation of a limb or extremity, understanding that phantom pain, for the most part, is a temporary condition, will further promote a more effective recovery after loss of the limb.