Case Study Of Phantom Pain ( Phantom Limb Pain ( PLP )

phenomenon of phantom limb pain (PLP) in patients with amputations has always fascinated healthcare professionals. Although this condition is relatively easy to diagnose, the pathophysiology of PLP remains unclear. It is estimated that greater than 80% of patients with a partial or total loss of a limb develop phantom limb pain, which is a type of neuropathic pain that is perceived in the location of the amputated limb. 1 Studies have shown that up to 75% of patients develop pain within the first

than two thirds of amputees develop phantom limb pain (PLP). For this reason, there is much needed research to find an effective way to relieve this type of pain. Unlike any other pain such as nociceptive pain, phantom pain is tricky to treat with medication. There are other studies that have been done using mirror therapy and showed its significances in reducing phantom pain. However, there seem to be lack of research in the comparison in the effectivity of pain reduction with using pharmaceuticals

Another drug class treatment that has been proven successful with PLP are opioids such as morphine. Wu et al. (2008) study showed that morphine was able to permanently reduce PLP in some patients, which may be due to the drug’s ability to diminish cortical reorganization in the brain. A large concern with the use of opioids, especially long-term use, is the possibility of addiction and quality of life. For many patients, using morphine on a consistent basis may not be possible due to lack of a live-in

Carter Human Anatomy & Physiology I 11/23/14 Professor Monks Phantom Limbs When a person loses a limb, it is never a clean cut; whether it be the remnants of gore from the cut, the trauma of the loss, or the non-physical remnant of the limb itself, known as Phantom Limb Syndrome. Despite effecting 80% of all amputees, the sensation itself continues to mystify neuroscientists and is not yet fully understood. The most popularized type of phantom are the painful ones, seeing as it affects 50-80% of amputees

Now the theory “Psychogenic Mechanism” is believed that stress, exhaustion, anxiety and depression would exacerbate phantom limb pain. A crosssectional study found that amputation in people with personality traits characterized by passive coping styles and catastrophizing behavior was found to be associated with the development of PLP independent of anxiety and depression (Bishnu, Grossberg. 2011). What happens if you listen to your brain when it’s telling you the wrong information? How does this

Pain is a vastly under treated phenomenon, causing suffering and financial losses to individuals and the society. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain can be defined as not just an unpleasant sensation however, holistically speaking, a complex sensory modality that is essential in the fight for survival. (Patel, N.B. 2010) It is thought to be a defence mechanism designed by the body, for triggering behavioural reflexes that defend against further noxious stimuli

Results Flow of Studies through the Review Through the search described above, 398 articles were identified as potential studies. Once duplicates were removed, 79 articles remained to be reviewed, of which 48 were excluded based on title and abstract. An additional 20 were excluded due to the fact that the studies did not adhere to the inclusion/exclusion criteria of our systematic review, mainly for reasons such as: excluding the diagnosis of CRPS, not including the necessary interventions, or