Common Prosthetic Issues

The word ‘phantom’ means something that you can feel but cannot see. After a part of the body, like an arm or a leg is amputated, it is common to sometimes feel that the limb is still there. This is called phantom sensation. If the person has pain as though the arm or leg is still there, it is called phantom pain.

Cause of Pain
The cause of phantom pain is not known but it likely happens because the nerves of the body are still telling the brain that the arm or leg is still there. There may be an increase in pain messages sent to the brain. Often the pain becomes less over time, especially as you are able to use a prosthesis.

Phantom pain is very real but not everyone will experience it. The pain may feel like burning, cramping, stabbing, or shooting pain. There are things that make the pain worse and things you can do that to help ease the pain.

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Some things that can make the pain worse include:

• Being too tired, or stressed
• Too much pressure on the amputated limb
• Changes in the weather
• Poor circulation, or swelling
• An artificial limb that does not fit properly

To help ease the pain you can: 

• Use massage, tapping and squeezing to desensitize the limb
• Slowly tighten and release the muscle in the limb
• Take your prescribed medication as instructed by your doctor
• Take a warm bath or shower massage, after the incision line is closed and healed
• If you have a prosthesis on, take is off for a few minutes
• If you do not have a prosthesis on, put it on and get active
• If there is swelling, try a shrinker or ace wrap