Phantom Limb Pain Management

Abstract

With an estimated 2 million major limb amputees and projections reaching 3.6 million by 2050, the increasing prevalence of limb loss in the United States underscores the importance of addressing complications associated with limb loss. Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common and often chronic condition affecting 40% to 80% of amputees. The heterogeneous pathology of PLP encompasses cortical, spinal, and peripheral mechanisms that present a challenge to providing effective treatments. The spectrum of available treatments spans pharmacologic interventions, noninvasive modalities like mirror therapy, and surgical techniques. A review of the current body of evidence on the treatment of PLP favors novel methods of surgical management. Nonetheless, a majority of literature pushes for the evaluation of other methods of ameliorating PLP as imperative to offering patient-centered options that address the myriad of etiologies that contribute to this pathology. More extensive research, especially randomized controlled trials, is needed to establish the long-term efficacy of interventions, compare the impact of different treatments, and identify which modalities are most effective in various patient populations.

Keywords: Amputation; mirror therapy; phantom limb pain; regenerative peripheral nerve interface; targeted muscle reinnervation.