Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is described as a sense of pain in a non-existent extremity. This means that one who is missing their limb may feel pain which is perceived to be originating from where the original arm was. Not all cases of PLP are the same because everyone processes limb loss differently and no single injury are the same. Phantom limb pain can occur in various parts of the body and is not limited to a particular type of treatment. Similar to other illnesses, sensation vary from case to case and may depend on the degree of trauma. Diagnosing a patient with phantom limb pain can be incredibly difficult for a physician due to the fact that patients are diagnosed based on the information given to the physician. Physicians are still able
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The sensations and pain are typically experienced in the distal part of the phantom limb (Ramchandran 1). Some forms of non-painful sensations include itching or tingling whereas painful sensations may include feeling of burning or stabbing. Non-painful sensation are one that produce a level of discomfort while painful sensation can debilitating. People who suffer from this condition may also experience a shift in temperature within that limb. In addition, patients with PLP may also experience shock-like …show more content…
PLP can occur promptly after the amputation of a limb while in some causes “Pain may last for years and tends to be intermittent rather than constant” (Lin and Cataldo 849). Furthermore, PLP may last anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours a day. In most cases of PLP, the prevalence of symptoms decreases within a few months of the first occurance. The presence of stress or high levels of anxiety may also affect the presence of PLP symptoms.
There are many studies concerning PLP due to the fact that it is such a complex condition. Most studies show that almost all amputees develop some sort of PLP, in fact, “Phantom limb pain occurs in at least 90% of limb amputees” (“Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain” 1). Other studies have confirmed that people are significantly more prone to develop PLP after an amputation then those born without a limb. Recent studies have been researching the effects of mirror therapy as a way to treat PLP. Some studies have uncovered that PLP is more common in people with upper limb amputations rather than in lower
The sensations and pain are typically experienced in the distal part of the phantom limb (Ramchandran 1). Some forms of non-painful sensations include itching or tingling whereas painful sensations may include feeling of burning or stabbing. Non-painful sensation are one that produce a level of discomfort while painful sensation can debilitating. People who suffer from this condition may also experience a shift in temperature within that limb. In addition, patients with PLP may also experience shock-like …show more content…
PLP can occur promptly after the amputation of a limb while in some causes “Pain may last for years and tends to be intermittent rather than constant” (Lin and Cataldo 849). Furthermore, PLP may last anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours a day. In most cases of PLP, the prevalence of symptoms decreases within a few months of the first occurance. The presence of stress or high levels of anxiety may also affect the presence of PLP symptoms.
There are many studies concerning PLP due to the fact that it is such a complex condition. Most studies show that almost all amputees develop some sort of PLP, in fact, “Phantom limb pain occurs in at least 90% of limb amputees” (“Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain” 1). Other studies have confirmed that people are significantly more prone to develop PLP after an amputation then those born without a limb. Recent studies have been researching the effects of mirror therapy as a way to treat PLP. Some studies have uncovered that PLP is more common in people with upper limb amputations rather than in lower