Phantom Limbs, Phantom Pain, And The Essay

Birbaumer, Lutzenberger, Montoya, and Wolfgang (1997) examined the functional relationship between cortical reorganization and phantom limb pain. Neuroelectric source imaging was used to determine changes in cortical reorganization in the somatosensory cortex after anesthesia of an amputation stump produced by brachial plexus blockage in six phantom limb pain patients and four pain-free amputees. This cortical reorganization was studied to examine whether the neurons rewired after the loss of an appendage. Three of the phantom limb subjects experienced a virtual elimination of current phantom pain. The Biraumber et al., (1997) result of the anesthesia was a very rapid elimination of cortical reorganization in the somatosensory cortex. In three phantom-limb-pain amputees pain was not reduced by brachial

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

We have sadly not found a permanent solution to the problem but are working towards it. As of now, though, we use mirrors and virtual reality techniques to try and alleviate the pain of phantom limbs. So far we can say that the brain is partially involved in the problem. It seems that it want to believe it is still there because it is just supposed to be. We know it is supposed to be there because of the neuromatrix or our neurosignature. The neurosignature is basically the blueprint of our own body. It is created from the time or birth and even infants who are born without limbs seem to have the phantom limb experience. This is a social and individually debilitating problem because of the severe pain and sometimes confusion if the parietal lobe is damaged. It is so painful most people cannot even find relief from therapy

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,

Furthermore phantom limb pain is simply a sensation of pain. A patient experiences the pain in an affected extremity that no longer exists (McCance & Huether). Although nerve fibers have the capability to regenerate this is a time consuming process that does not always yield a fully functional nerve (Subedi & Grossberg, 2011).

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

To prevent the risk of developing phantom limb pain, doctors suggest the use of regional anesthesia through spinal or epidural few hours or days leading to the amputation. By doing this procedure, it might help to reduce the pain before the surgery hence reducing the risk of lasting phantom limb pain. Most amputees that have phantom pain, often feels to them as if they’re stuck in their last action with that limb. The mirror clears and retained memories of limb position from the brain. It is also helps neurons start making new connections in the brain.

Dr. Ramachandran has devised an experiment that he says has to be tested on many more patients with phantom limb syndrome before he can be certain that it will help amputees with phantom limb pain. He uses what he calls a “mirror-box”, testing this with another patient named James Peacock who lost his right hand and has severe pain in his missing hand and as though the missing hand is constantly clenching. Dr. Ramachandran explains that this patients brain is sending signals to his missing limb trying to clench it, but because the limb isn’t there is unable to send messages back to the brain letting it know that it’s clenching too much or too fast. He theorized, “That maybe the brain can be fooled by visual feedback?” So, taking a wooden box dividing it with a mirror that is facing the limb

Modern prosthetic limbs have become very advanced in the last decade. They now have the ability to grip objects, have running limbs, and many more wonderful things. Although these prosthetics are great, they are lacking some key extras that amputees would relish. What amputees really want is their sense of feeling back. They want to reach out with their prosthetic limb and be able to tell if the stove is on or off. They want to be able to press the gas of an automobile. This sense, that all non-amputees take for granted, would be a great place to start the improvement of the perfect prosthetic limb. To accomplish such a daunting task, engineers must figure out an alternative source that could interact with the amputees still intact nerve endings. This way they can use their still functioning nerves to communicate with their pseudo-nerve and have the ability to move their prosthesis around with complete control of it and its sense of touch. I believe this has not

Sacks discussed the ideas behind the phantom limb and how they affected many peoples live. The most interesting story was about a sailor that accidentally cut off his index finger. For forty years he thought he would poke himself in the eye whenever he moved his hand to his face. One day he lost the feeling in his entire hand including his phantom finger and his problem was cured (Sacks 66-67). Up to 70 percent of amputees confirmed that they still feel or still thought a missing limb was there. They often feel that they can reach out and grab something. Some won't sleep in a certain way because they feel the missing limb between them and the mattress. The sensations felt stem from the activity of the sensory axons

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.

Jason’s loss of sensation proposes that the dorsal columns tract and the spinothalamic tracts were damaged bilaterally around the C5 portion. The dorsal columns are responsible for transmitting information to the brain regarding is a sensory path of the central nervous system that transports localized sensations of fine touch, two-point discrimination, vibration, and proprioception from the joints and skin. The spinothalamic tracts generally convey information to the brain regarding pain, temperature, and coarse touch on the skin.

The peripheral mechanism theory that was causing the pain was edified to be due to neuromas which is exasperation in the severed nerved ending. The exasperation was a result of many nerve cessations are terminated at remaining stump when a limp is amputated. The inflamed nerves then will send signals to the encephalon that the encephalon perceived it as a pain. Predicated on this theory, treatments are done but the results were a failure. Some surgeon would perform a second amputation so that the inflamed nerved cessations can be abstracted and may bring ephemeral palliation but the result was that the phantom pain incremented than they had anteriorly. Some surgeon withal endeavors to abstract the sensory nerved leading to spinal cord and in

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

been by a paralyzed inability to except the painful sense of loss (Jamil, 2009). The pretense of