An Overview of One of the Most Misunderstood Medical Conditions, Phantom Limb
What is Phantom Limb Pain
Phantom limb pain is associated with the pain that occurs when an extremity or body part is amputated. When a part of the body is no longer there, many people experience immense pain due to the body’s reaction to severed nerves. The human body is sometimes incapable of differentiating between the nerves that are present and those that are missing. The resulting confusion often leaves patients with a lingering sensation of a limb when none exists.
This sudden loss of a limb is something that can happen due to an amputation or some type of trauma. It can also cause scar tissue that may cause even more pain. For a very long time, people have believed that phantom limb pain could only occur if the body part was no longer there. However, in recent years, studies have shown that this is not completely accurate. Phantom limb pain has been associated with parts of the body on patients that have not yet been removed but are no longer functioning properly.
Dr. Eldor Brish is an expert in the discovery of phantom limb pain associated with intact limbs. He has associated the intact limb as having the same symptoms and triggers associated with cases of full amputation. It can be described as a burning pain or a sharp pain, and often accompanied by a “tingling” sensation. Through Dr. Eldor Brish’s studies, he has seen many cases associated with this.
What Causes Phantom Limb-Like Pain in an Intact Limb
Phantom limb pain happens when there is a severed nerve to a part of the body. Therefore, if a limb has this or similar damage and is still attached to the body, they could be experiencing the same sensations. Dr. Eldor Brish MD continues to study the causes of phantom limb pain in intact limbs. He explains that what happens with a patient experiencing phantom limb pain is that your body knows something is pathologic. That is why sensations occur in the missing or damaged extremity.. This can also occur when there is scar tissue around the area as well. The damage done to the limb or body part will signal pain to the brain.
How to Help with Phantom Limb Pain with an Intact Limb
Dr. Eldor Brish states that phantom limb-like pain may be an underdiagnosed and underreported condition. It is important to know that people have this experience whether the limbs are attached or not. The first step is to acknowledge it and talk to your doctor as soon as the symptoms occur. The sooner a physician the symptoms, the sooner you can get the help and the care you need. A physician will attempt to pinpoint the pain location and intensity as well as the type of pain. This will help with the diagnosis and subsequent plan of care. Treatment will like be multimodal and may include medication and therapy. There are also other conservative procedures that can be done to relieve the pain such as acupuncture, virtual reality immersion or TENS units. Medications given can include anticonvulsants, pain medication, and NMDA receptor antagonists. Some patients may need one and some may need more than one. This would depend on the pain associated with the problem. Finally, for patients who do exhibit significant relief with conservative treatments, Eldor Brish MD recommends interventional modalities which may include injections and nerve blocks.
Phantom limb pain is something that is real and common in those who have lost a limb or part of their body. Studies have shown that there is also phantom limb pain associated with those who still have the body part intact. In either case, the best course of action is to work closely with your physician as soon as possible.