Phantom limb syndrome is the sensation that a missing limb or organ is still attached to the body, often accompanied by pain. The cause is unknown, but treatments such as medication, hypnosis, and mirror boxes can help alleviate symptoms.
A phantom limb is the feeling that a missing limb or organ is still attached to the body. The person usually feels as if the limb is moving normally and is even able to gesture or feel pain. Phantom limb syndrome occurs in most people who have a limb amputated, although attacks generally come and go. Many people with this syndrome report feeling pain in the limb, that the limb feels stunted and twisted, or both. In most cases, the attacks are more frequent soon after the limb, eye or tooth have been removed and become increasingly rare over time.
The symptoms of this syndrome differ from person to person, usually depending on how and when the body part was lost. If someone is born without limbs, he usually feels different than someone who is paralyzed or has had a limb amputated. Also, someone who had an amputee within the month may have far more frequent phantom limb syndrome symptoms than someone who had an amputee several decades ago. In some cases, however, the person rarely or never feels pain, although he still feels the previously attached limb or organ.
There are only theories as to why phantom limb syndrome occurs. One theory is that nerve endings in the missing or amputated limb send gibberish signals to the brain, which becomes confused and decides those signals are probably due to pain. Unfortunately, this theory has not been proven and researchers are still studying the cause.
Many treatment methods can come into play when dealing with a phantom limb. The use of medications such as antidepressants and the administration of hypnosis and acupuncture are quite common. When a patient experiences pain or discomfort in a phantom limb due to a feeling of being paralyzed or in an awkward position, a treatment referred to as a mirror box is sometimes used. The idea is that the brain thinks the phantom limb is paralyzed or in a disabled state because it can visually identify that it’s not moving or that the limb was in a bad state while still attached to the body. A mirror box allows the patient to see two limbs when in reality there is only one, yet moves both limbs comfortably and receives visual feedback, thereby relieving pain in the phantom limb.
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