There are about 2.1 million people with an amputated limb in the United States of America. About 185,000 people have an amputation each year and about 300 to 500 a day. Many people with amputated limbs have phantom pains. There are many questions about phantom pains such as what they are, who discovered them, what causes them, and how are they treated.
Phantom pains are pains that come from body parts that have been amputated. Not everyone with an amputated limb will have phantom pains, but eight out of ten people do feel a pain in their limb that is no longer there. This means that about 2,058,000 people have phantom pains in the USA. The exact cause of phantom pains is not clear. Experts recognize that phantom pains come from the spinal cord …show more content…
“Though varying in degree and duration, phantom pain is experienced by virtually all amputees, particularly during the early stages of recovery. Raw nerve endings send signals to the brain that are misconstrued, and pain is assigned to a limb that no longer exits.” (Wegner, 19)
“Evidence of loss of limbs, through disease, accident, warfare, or ritual has been commented upon since records began. With this legacy, it is remarkable that reports of phantom limbs entered so late into medical records.” (Wade) Phantom pains were first described in 1552 by a French doctor named Ambroise Pare. He wrote about wounded soldiers who complained of pains in their amputated limbs. Pare proposed different models to explain these pains people had. He thought that the pain came from stimulating the nerves in the stump. In 1637, Rene Descartes claimed that all …show more content…
By placing a mirror at an angle in front of the chest you can create the visual illusion that the body is symmetrical.” (Aalborg University) This therapy allows a patient to feel the movement of the removed limb acting as a normal body part. If you place a mirror in front of yourself at an angle, it can create the visual illusion your body is even. Then if you pretend to do the same movements the brain can be convinced it is in contact with your amputated limb. Your brain will be tricked into thinking you still have both limbs because when you look into a mirror everything is opposite so it appears that you have both limbs. Depending on the intensity of a person’s pain level the effect of the mirror therapy may vary. In most amputees the mirror method was effective. This method was discovered by Roger Ramachandran in 1996. The newest method involves patients putting on virtual reality goggles and a glove. Then small electrodes are placed on the stump. By using tiny electrical impulses researches try to recreate the phantom limb. In virtual reality you can create a three dimensional reality where you can interact with all your limbs, move around freely, and grab things. This method allows you to use the missing limb to complete games. Virtual reality is more fun and engaging than traditional rehabilitation
Phantom pains are pains that come from body parts that have been amputated. Not everyone with an amputated limb will have phantom pains, but eight out of ten people do feel a pain in their limb that is no longer there. This means that about 2,058,000 people have phantom pains in the USA. The exact cause of phantom pains is not clear. Experts recognize that phantom pains come from the spinal cord …show more content…
“Though varying in degree and duration, phantom pain is experienced by virtually all amputees, particularly during the early stages of recovery. Raw nerve endings send signals to the brain that are misconstrued, and pain is assigned to a limb that no longer exits.” (Wegner, 19)
“Evidence of loss of limbs, through disease, accident, warfare, or ritual has been commented upon since records began. With this legacy, it is remarkable that reports of phantom limbs entered so late into medical records.” (Wade) Phantom pains were first described in 1552 by a French doctor named Ambroise Pare. He wrote about wounded soldiers who complained of pains in their amputated limbs. Pare proposed different models to explain these pains people had. He thought that the pain came from stimulating the nerves in the stump. In 1637, Rene Descartes claimed that all …show more content…
By placing a mirror at an angle in front of the chest you can create the visual illusion that the body is symmetrical.” (Aalborg University) This therapy allows a patient to feel the movement of the removed limb acting as a normal body part. If you place a mirror in front of yourself at an angle, it can create the visual illusion your body is even. Then if you pretend to do the same movements the brain can be convinced it is in contact with your amputated limb. Your brain will be tricked into thinking you still have both limbs because when you look into a mirror everything is opposite so it appears that you have both limbs. Depending on the intensity of a person’s pain level the effect of the mirror therapy may vary. In most amputees the mirror method was effective. This method was discovered by Roger Ramachandran in 1996. The newest method involves patients putting on virtual reality goggles and a glove. Then small electrodes are placed on the stump. By using tiny electrical impulses researches try to recreate the phantom limb. In virtual reality you can create a three dimensional reality where you can interact with all your limbs, move around freely, and grab things. This method allows you to use the missing limb to complete games. Virtual reality is more fun and engaging than traditional rehabilitation