Once a limb is amputated, patients may continue to feel disabling pain signals at the site of the lost limb that may lead to chronic pain. Although it is called phantom limb pain and it most commonly affects those who have had amputated arms or legs, it can also affect women who have had a breast surgically removed. Symptoms may include cramping, burning, or aching in the residual limb. The exact mechanism causing phantom limb pain is poorly understood, but it appears to be related to how the nerve signals are processed in the brain, which can lead a person to feel as though their amputated limb is still there. It’s important to realize you are not “crazy” and that phantom limb pain is not just your imagination – it is a real condition with a physical cause.

Our skilled orthopedic physicians will ask you what you are experiencing and how it has taken a physical and emotional toll on your life. We will work with you until we can create a short- and long-term pain management plan and educate you on how to make the most out of your treatment plan. Don’t let phantom limb pain rob you of your joy of life – let us work with you to help control the pain and help you get back to living a better life.

Treatment for phantom limb pain may involve:

• Medication, including antidepressants or anticonvulsants
• Frequent touch or the residual limb to help with desensitization
• Wearing a shrinker sock to keep constant pressure at the end of the limb
• Using a prosthesis to provide steady pressure to the residual limb that can reduce pain
• And more