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

Pain is not only defined as a sensation or a physical awareness, but also entails perception. Moreover, pain is an unpleasant and an uncomfortable emotion that is transferred to the brain by sensory neurons. There are various kinds of pain and how one perceives them is varied as well. Certain parts of the brain also play a key role in how one feels pain such as the parietal lobe, which is involved in interpreting pain while the hypothalamus is responsible for the response to pain one has. Although some believe pain is just a physical awareness and is in the body, pain is all in one’s mind because the perception of pain and the emotion that controls its intensity differs in individuals and when pain itself is administered to the body, the brain determines the emotions one attaches to each painful experience.

This incredible therapy was never taught in medical school. Basically platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) uses your body's own natural healing process to repair damage tissues.

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.

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,

CRPS is uncommon, amongst all individuals, however, can easily affect a person after a traumatic injury to a limb. CRPS symptoms differ in severity and duration and the outcome for each individual is different, for example, children and teenager have a higher prospect of recovering, whereas others are left with irreversible variations regardless of treatment (National Institute of Neurological

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

Phantom pains, or phantom pain syndrome is the sensations of pain in a part of the limb that is already amputated or in a limb that is non-existent. Phantom limb pain occurs in the majority of many amputees, in a percentage of more than 80% of the population of amputees. There is no proper scientific explanation for the ghastly phenomenon, but scientists and doctors have their theories and explanations and some say the pain is originated from the spinal cord and the brain. However, treatments for phantom pain syndrome include drugs like painkillers, antidepressants,

While persuasive, the aforementioned experimental conclusions are well critiqued by Ronald Melzack who argues against looking to the somatosensory cortex or thalamus as the only cause of phantom pain in his April 1992 Scientific American article. He states: Such changes in the somatosensory thalamus or cortex could explain why certain feelings arise in limbs that no longer exist or can no longer

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.

Recurrent acute priapism. With this type, erections are painful and last less than 3 hours. The erections come and go.

Postoperative pain is the most undesired sequence of surgery, and if not treated properly, can lead to increased hospital stay and delayed return to daily activities (10).

Mechanical LBP is generally characterized by intermittent pain during the day, aggravated by standing and sitting for long periods, increase in pain with trunk flexion or extension, lifting and running.7 In addition, mechanical LBP is usually alleviated with rest. In the current case, the patient demonstrated some of the characteristics of mechanical LBP. However, the overall clinical presentation was ambiguous, and there were inconsistencies in some of the signs and symptoms. The signs were an increase in symptoms in the morning and after rest, and decrease in symptoms with physical activities such as deadlift exercises, basketball and touch rugby.

What was neglected by much of the media was the technique used to administer the PRP- not a technique that is favored by those of us who use PRP a lot. And the type of method used to prepare the PRP. Unless the protocol definitely produced a platelet concentration 4-5 times baseline, the treatment was not

As mentioned previously, PMPS is classified as a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome. Therefore, distinguishing whether chronic pain after breast cancer surgery is nociceptive or neuropathic has important implications for diagnostic, lifestyle and treatment decisions for these patients (Arnstein P,