What is "phantom pain"?

[Buffalo_Grass]

I was reading the newspaper yesterday and there was an article of someone who was paralyzed and was experiencing "phantom pain". I called the library reference desk and they knew nothing. Then I called the local hospital, and they too where unfamiliar with "phantom pain". Do you know what "phantom pain" is. Your response(s) will be appreciated. Thanks. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

[imnomis]

My father was a double amputee. He would always complain about how much his lower legs hurt and rub the stumps a lot. He could feel the pain as if his legs were still there, hense the term "phantom pain."

Simon says the pain Dad described was very similar, if not identical, to the neuropathic pain that he has been getting since his accident 19 months ago.

mrsnomis
(spouse of imnomis, a T-12 incomplete)

[metronycguy]

theres a book "phantoms in the mind"
it has a couple of good sections about the pain felt
in the amputuated limbs

[This message was edited by metronycguy on 01-10-05 at 08:36 AM.]

[leonard.martinez@sbcglobal.net]

the brain is still sending information to the legs as if they where still attached to your body as well as itching. I heard of a solution to it was with a mirror. Create a mirror image of missing limb and let patient see somebody or himself, and rub or scratch the itch it will send an image to the brain of problem solved according to this study it will fix the problem....

[metronycguy]

its supposed to be quite painful and many a person suffering from it ends up doing suicide because of the pain

[Wise Young]

"Phantom pain" is the name given to neuropathic pain that occurs in amputees. Because the pain appears to be occurring in the leg that is absent, it was named "phantom" pain because it was not considered to be real. However, as we know, neuropathic pain is real. Neuropathic pain probably has the same origins or mechanism as phantom from amputees. There are numerous other names for such pain, including:

neurogenic pain: this name refers to pain that has its genesis in the nervous system.

deafferentation pain: afferent means input or sensory. Neuropathic pain frequently occurs as a result of disrupted sensory input. Of course amputation disrupts afferent signals, as does spinal cord injury. It also occurs with peripheral nerve or spinal root damage (such as in brachioplexus avulsion or lumbosacral plexus avulsion).

Wise.

[gretchen]

Shouldn't it get better with time? Symptoms seem to worsen for a lot of us http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

gretchen 1