Case Study Of Phantom Limb
Name:
Professor:
Course:
Date:
Phantom Limb
Phantom limb refers to a particularly agonizing sensation that the body perceives of a body part no longer in existence. Ambrose Pare, who was a French army surgeon during the 16th century, was the first person that was able to introduce this pain. From that time, a number of studies that relate to phantom limbs have been carried out because of the vast number of patients whose body parts went missing in the First, as well as Second World Wars. Nonetheless, the components of phantom limb research, which include pathological physiology and etiology have no clear elucidation to date. The pain appears in roughly 90% of all amputees, whether medical or accidental. This pain may come about as a result
of the conflict that exists between visual feedback, as well as proprioceptive depictions of the limb that was amputated (Millonig 1063). Therefore, creating illusions that mimic the movement of the limb that was amputated might lend a hand in lessening pain in the phantom limb. Mirror therapy is one of the ways that doctors around the world have used with a significant amount of success towards patients whose hand or arm was amputated (Millonig 1064). For this reason, the significant constituent of mirror therapy may possibly be the introduction of limb imagery.
For amputees, those who develop phantom limb pain because of amputation go beyond the 50-85% mark. The pain may not take long to start developing. Close to half of all amputees may undergo the pain inside 24 hours after the procedure is carried out. Another three-quarter of all the patients report painful sensations only a few days after amputation. Over a length of time, the rate of recurrence or the intensity of the pains may be relieved, though there have been reports of those people whose pains did not subside at all, but instead increased dramatically (Gallagher, Allen and Mac 525).
In order to treat phantom limb pains, one needs to incorporate medication, together with physical treatment, surgery, nerve block, as well as neuromodulation. Nonetheless, there are no proven records that these methods have been effective in most of the patients. That does not mean that they cannot be used in an effective manner. There have been cases reported by patients that have reported dramatic decreases in phantom limb pains following the use of mirror therapy. Not all other methods of treatment succeeded in alleviating the pain suffered by the amputee (Gallagher, Allen and Mac 527). This study was done convincingly as it incorporated all aspects of treatment of phantom limb pains and the research that has been carried out on it in the past. More of the researches are being carried out presently in order to come up with the most comprehensive and fulfilling form of alleviating phantom limb pain.
Works Cited
Millonig, Alban. "Phantom limbs – Or phantoms of phantom limbs?." Cortex 47.9 (2011): 1063-1064. Print.
Gallagher, Pamela, David Allen and Malcolm Mac. "Phantom limb pain and residual limb pain following lower limb amputation: a descriptive analysis." Disability & Rehabilitation 23.12 (2001): 522-530. Print.
Professor:
Course:
Date:
Phantom Limb
Phantom limb refers to a particularly agonizing sensation that the body perceives of a body part no longer in existence. Ambrose Pare, who was a French army surgeon during the 16th century, was the first person that was able to introduce this pain. From that time, a number of studies that relate to phantom limbs have been carried out because of the vast number of patients whose body parts went missing in the First, as well as Second World Wars. Nonetheless, the components of phantom limb research, which include pathological physiology and etiology have no clear elucidation to date. The pain appears in roughly 90% of all amputees, whether medical or accidental. This pain may come about as a result
of the conflict that exists between visual feedback, as well as proprioceptive depictions of the limb that was amputated (Millonig 1063). Therefore, creating illusions that mimic the movement of the limb that was amputated might lend a hand in lessening pain in the phantom limb. Mirror therapy is one of the ways that doctors around the world have used with a significant amount of success towards patients whose hand or arm was amputated (Millonig 1064). For this reason, the significant constituent of mirror therapy may possibly be the introduction of limb imagery.
For amputees, those who develop phantom limb pain because of amputation go beyond the 50-85% mark. The pain may not take long to start developing. Close to half of all amputees may undergo the pain inside 24 hours after the procedure is carried out. Another three-quarter of all the patients report painful sensations only a few days after amputation. Over a length of time, the rate of recurrence or the intensity of the pains may be relieved, though there have been reports of those people whose pains did not subside at all, but instead increased dramatically (Gallagher, Allen and Mac 525).
In order to treat phantom limb pains, one needs to incorporate medication, together with physical treatment, surgery, nerve block, as well as neuromodulation. Nonetheless, there are no proven records that these methods have been effective in most of the patients. That does not mean that they cannot be used in an effective manner. There have been cases reported by patients that have reported dramatic decreases in phantom limb pains following the use of mirror therapy. Not all other methods of treatment succeeded in alleviating the pain suffered by the amputee (Gallagher, Allen and Mac 527). This study was done convincingly as it incorporated all aspects of treatment of phantom limb pains and the research that has been carried out on it in the past. More of the researches are being carried out presently in order to come up with the most comprehensive and fulfilling form of alleviating phantom limb pain.
Works Cited
Millonig, Alban. "Phantom limbs – Or phantoms of phantom limbs?." Cortex 47.9 (2011): 1063-1064. Print.
Gallagher, Pamela, David Allen and Malcolm Mac. "Phantom limb pain and residual limb pain following lower limb amputation: a descriptive analysis." Disability & Rehabilitation 23.12 (2001): 522-530. Print.