Phantom Limb Pain is a Real Challenge After Amputation

Catastrophic injuries are painful and can forever affect the life of an individual. For victims of negligence, few personal injuries can be as challenging to handle as the loss of a limb. Whether the amputation involves a leg, arm, finger, or toe, this type of injury affects the victim forever. Even following initial medical treatment of an amputation, phantom limb pain can cause lasting physical and psychological difficulties.

What is phantom limb pain?

According to the Mays and Schnapp Pain Clinic and Rehabilitation Center, phantom limb pain was once viewed as a psychological condition. Doctors believed that patients’ complaints about the pain stemmed from their imagination and not physical reality. These doubts were based on the medical understanding of what occurs during an amputation.  When a limb is removed, the nerves of the lost limb are cut, which should stop the transmission of signals from the nerves of the amputated limb to the brain.

However, the perception of phantom limb pain has changed over the years, and the medical community now sees the condition as a neurological disorder that causes physical pain. According to Appalachian Orthopedic Associates, doctors believe that after an amputation, nerves from the remaining stump send false signals to the brain in response to the missing limb. The result is painful throbbing, stabbing, and burning felt in the area where there was once a limb.

Common treatment for post-amputation pain

Doctors often try numerous treatment options before finding one that effectively helps the phantom limb pain patient. With so many unanswered questions about the condition, treatment still largely relies on trial and error for each individual. Some of the attempted treatments may include:

• Antidepressants
• Anticonvulsants
• Pain medications (narcotics)
• Nerve stimulation therapy
• Acupuncture
• Medication injections or implanted medication pumps

The effects of an amputated limb can be long lasting, with some patients feeling pain even years after the loss of their limb. Under some circumstances, surgery is even necessary for stump revision or deep brain stimulation. In addition to the physical effects of this condition, phantom limb pain can also lead to substantial psychological challenges. For example, the chronic pain may lead to severe depression. Patients may also experience anxiety from the fear that people will not believe that they are truly in pain. These psychological conditions may require additional medication or extensive psychiatric therapies.

The skilled Memphis catastrophic injury lawyers of Bailey & Greer, PLLC, understand the lasting effects of losing a limb. That’s why we work hard to secure adequate compensation for initial medical treatments, as well as the necessary long-term care that the residents of Memphis, Jackson, and West Tennessee need to live their highest quality of life. Call our office at 901-680-9777 or complete our contact form today.