Phantom limb pain effects a number of acquired amputees, particularly in the first few months following surgery. In most amputees this eases after a few months however, for some it can last years and even a lifetime. It comes in many forms from burning to stabbing to electric shocks but ultimately it varies from person to person. Many amputees report phantom pain as being short episodes of pain that come and go, however for some it can be a consistent underlying pain that varies in pain level. This can feel incredibly daunting, distressing and even debilitating and as a result it can seriously affect mental health and more, but their are some options to try that may temporarily or permanently help relieve that pain.

At Positive Bones we aren’t just here to help amputees and those with limb difference with the good stuff, but we are also here to try and help with the tough stuff too.

Here are some top tips to help phantom pain that amputees have shared with us;

• Medicine: There are a number of medicines available to help relieve phantom pain. These can hugely vary and come with a mixture of different outcomes. When it comes to finding the right one for you, don’t feel ashamed about asking your pain clinician or GP to let you try out different ones, whilst some may work for some it doesn’t mean it will work for you, so its important to listen to your body and understand what is an isn’t helping.

• Heat or Cold: Many amputees report an increase in phantom pain when the residual limb is cold or hot. Options such as a cold or warm bath, a small ice or heat pad, a hot water bottle or a ‘stump sock’ can help keep the limb warm or cold and the pain at bay.

• Massage or circulation stimulation: One of the reasons pain can be worse post-op is because the nerves have been cut and so are firing ‘warning signals’ to the brain. To try and help relieve this a common recommendation is rubbing, lightly scratching, massaging and generally stimulating the stump. Not only will this begin to ‘de-stimulate’ some of the nerve endings, but it can also help you relax too.

• Aromatherapy, breathing exercises or general relaxation techniques: Stress can often be a trigger for phantom pain and adversely phantom pain can cause stress so this one is tricky. If you have something you know immediately helps you relax,then try to use it to support you when you pain is at it’s worst.

• Mirror Therapy: Mirror therapy involves placing a mirror half way across your body facing any remaining full limbs, with the support of a specially trained physio you can then use this to ‘visualise’ a full limb in place of your amputated one, effectively tricking the brain.

  • No mirror or remaining limb? Don’t worry, this can also be done just with the power of your mind alone. Taking some time a quiet place to visualise a limb, imagine it moving or dipping into particular textures such as water or sand.

• Compression: A number of amputees report using a stump shrinker to relieve pain, particularly at night. You can get a shrinker from your prosthetist or physio or you can use a scarf, liner or blanket to compress the residual limb.

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture can be so effective for phantom pain that it is a recommended treatment on the NHS. Its important to find the righ acupuncturist for you or even to find one who specialises in pain so do your research.

• Tens Stimulation: Much like massage, Tens stimulates the nerves and as a result can help relieve phantom pain in amputees. Tens pad locations can vary from amputee to amputee so speak with your physio for support and advice.

• Electromagnetic shielding: This is a more recently researched phenomenon but can really help support amputees in minimising their pain. It can be done in a number of ways from wrapping the residual limb in tin foil to wearing special silver threading liners. This area requires more research but we have had reports of amputees finding relief in this method.

If you want to read more about Phantom Pain, you can do so on the NHS website here. The above is just a handful of options and there are many more, ultimately everyone is different and so one of the most common pieces of advice we have received is to keep a pain diary noting the type of pain, the time of day, the level of pain and what you are doing/how you are feeling. This can help amputees ascertain particular ‘triggers’ for pain and understand what works and what doesn’t.

If you are an amputee, an amputee clinician or a carer for an amputee have any questions about, or advice for, phantom pain, get in touch using our chat function or email us at info@positivebones.co.uk and we will do our best to back to you as soon as possible.