Brain Spinal Cord Research Paper

Over the years scientists have noted many complaints of a strange form of pain called phantom limb pain. This pain is strange because it is located in an appendage that no longer exists. By many of the amputees the pain is described as totally unbearable. Phantom limb pain has even driven some victims crazy. For the amputee population this is a very real problem that definitely needs to be solved.

Kathy, a 20-year-old woman, awakens one morning to a tingling, numb sensation covering both of her feet. This has happened to her a number of times throughout the year. In the past, when experiencing this sensation, within a couple of days to a week the numbness would subside, and so she is not too concerned. About a week later, she

Cases of ‘phantom limbs’, ‘disappearing phantom limbs’ and ‘positional phantoms’ are a well-written about phenomena. Dr. Sacks describes how sensory messages can be sent to the phantom limbs, causing a neurological condition.

The phantom limb pain the woman is experiencing is described as a painful condition of the amputated limb after the stump has completely healed. It is a chronic pain that occurs in more than 80% of amputees especially those who suffered pain in the limb before the amputation. Theories suggest that phantom limb pain results from redevelopment or hyperactivity of cut peripheral nerves, scar tissue or neuroma formation in the cut peripheral nerves, spinal cord deafferentation, and alterations in the thalamus and cortex. More so, the CNS integration, which involves reorganization and plastic modifications of the somatosensory cortex, effects the receptors in perceiving the pain of the amputated limb despite of the limb itself being absent. In addition,

What does it feel like to have a missing/paralyzed limb? I'm sure this question has popped into many of our heads at one point in time. You would think that the sensations and feelings from that limb would disappear altogether. However, for some people, they can still feel the presence of their limb even after it is gone. There is no clear answer as to why this happens, but one thing is for certain. A large percentage of people with phantom limbs will sometimes feel pain from that missing limb. There is nothing happening to the individual physically that would cause them to feel pain from their phantom limb. What is actually happening is that the nerves that are located at the area of amputation (the "stump") are sending signals to the brain, which tricks the brain into believing that the missing limb is still there. It is hypothesized that the brain may also interpret these signals as pain. I found this to be an interesting topic, as it gives a good example as to how our brains and nervous systems work when interpreting changes in the body.

Phantom limb pain is the most fascinating phenomenon I have read about in the health field so far. The concept is crazy to imagine on your own body. The first time I have ever heard of phantom limb pain was in the first session of this Honors class, and I remember sitting in my chair shocked that this could possibly be a real experience for some.

For my final paper topic, I have chosen to discuss phantom limb pain. I was inspired to write about phantom limb pain after a recent visit to the Veterans Affairs hospital. I will be explaining the physiological aspects, including involvements of nerves, spinal cord, and the brain, as well as the psychological aspects, including grief, stress, depression and anxiety of phantom limb pain. According to Goldstein (2010), phantom limb pain is a phenomenon that a person whose limb has been amputated continues to experience the sensation of the limb (p.344). Along with the sensation of the amputated limb, patients can also experience pain, tingling, numbness, and temperature changes. People who were born without a limb can also experience phantom

With conflicting research and hardly valid data, to say that phantom limb syndrome is solely caused based on psychogenic mechanism of the patient is inaccurate. More recent research has strongly suggested peripheral mechanism to also be a factor in phantom limb syndrome. Once amputation of a limb or part of a limb is performed, a neuroma is created. Neuromas result from a trauma to the nerve and are typically formed on the site of an inquired sensory nerve, forming a knot in the area. The knot is mainly composed of axons that can no longer reconnect to the rest of the nerve cells due to amputation . These neuromas are the site where increased excitability due to an increased accumulation of molecules (recent research, scientist are not quite

It is possible because even though the limb is not there anymore the nerve endings at the site of amputation continue to send pain signals to the brain and make the brain believe the limb is still there.

Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a serious condition that occurs when a person who has lost a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or loss of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the limb is still there and experiences sensations coming from this area. It was first described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a short story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may then have wondered if this was specific to wounded Civil War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). Several theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is still much to be

The earliest hypothesis regarding the cause of phantom limbs and pain was that of neuromas. These were thought to be nodules comprised of remaining nerves located at the end of the stump. These neuromas presumably continued to generate impulses that traveled up the spinal cord to portions of the thalamus and somatosensory domains of the cortex. As a result, treatment involved cutting the nerves just above the neuroma in an attempt to interrupt signaling at each somatosensory level (5). This and other related theories were deemed unsatisfactory because of the fact the phantom pain always returned, indicating that there was a more complex reason.

Madeline suffered from Cerebral Palsy a disease that causes rigid, convulsive muscles in the legs and arms. Children with the disease often have a difficult time crawling, walking and grasping objects. As time passes they do not get any better. Formerly, it was called Little's Disease in 1860 by the English surgeon William Little, today it is known as Spastic Diplegia, a category of Cerebral Palsy (Introduction). Today medications, surgery and braces help children with Cerebral Palsy improve nerve and muscle coordination, treat related medical problems and correct abnormalities (Introduction).

An extensive matrix of neurons in the brain gives us the sense of our own bodies and body parts. Pain results when this matrix produces an abnormal pattern of activity, as a result of memories, emotions, expectations or signals from various brain centres and not just from signals from peripheral nerves. Because of the lack of sensory stimulation or a person’s efforts to move a nonexistent limb, abnormal patterns may arise, resulting in phantom pain.

Phantom limb pain is a painful sensation experienced in a body part which is no longer part of the body, often due to amputation.(3) Individuals also reported that tingling as well as various types of pain have occurred, and these sensations may eventually disappear or may persist as cramping, shooting, burning or crushing

Increase body weight patient must ambulate with on treadmill with symmetry in gait until a reduction of 20% has been achieved