logo

Phantom Pain and its Treatment Assignment PDF

   

Added on  2021-06-17

6 Pages2213 Words56 Views
UNIT:NAME:DATE:

Phantom Pain and its TreatmentIntroductionPhantom pain refers to a condition characterized with actual pain that an individual feels as a result of a missing body part (Weeks, Anderson-Barnes, & Tsao, 2010). Phantom pain is also known as phantom limb pain and causes frustrations to both patients and physicians. Phantom pain is difficult for physician to manage while it causes discomfort to patients (Ahmed, Mohamed, & Sayed, 2011). High levels of 60%-70% phantom cases are reported after one year of amputation (Kim, & Kim, 2012). Phantom pain was not recognized until it was defined by Silas Weir who was a surgeon in civil war (De Ridder, Elgoyhen, Romo, & Langguth, 2011).The following report is a research review on phantom limb pain and methods that can be used to treat the condition. This will involve examining various perspectives of phantom pain and critically reviewing literature on phantom pain and methods that can be used to treat the condition. Critical Evaluation of Phantom Pain MechanismThere are different perspectives that different scholars and physicians use to study phantom pain.The phantom pain is perceived to be caused by different actors that stimulate mild or severe pain to a patient. Weeks, Anderson-Barnes, & Tsao, (2010), defined phantom pain as conscious feeling as a result of a painful limb even after amputation. Kim, & Kim, (2012) on the other side,defined phantom pain as perceived pain from a region of a body that is no longer present in the body. The authors noted that nearly all amputees are likely to feel as if their missing limb still exist that lead to chronic phantom pain. Kumar, & Saha, (2011) also defined phantom pain as an ongoing painful sensations coming from a limb that is not there. Phantom pain is real despite the limb being absent and the pain length differs from one person to another. There are two distinct perspectives to phantom pain; top down and bottom up approach. These approaches have been hypothesized and put down to theories that enhance rational treatment. The top down perspectiveputs forward that phantom pain occurs when sensory inputs are suddenly lost and the patient brain had no change to adapt. This perspective shows that phantom pain is stimulated by the brain in the process of adapting to loss of an input. The brain causes pain in the process of

adapting to new change that has happened to the body. The top down perspective therefore argues that phantom pain can be managed by tricking the brain (Hsu, & Cohen, 2013). On the other side, the bottom up approach is opposite of top down. The perspective show that phantom pain resides in nerves in the patient’s spinal cord. The neurons are the ones that carry pain signals from the body to the spinal code. The spinal cord then sends signals to the brain. The bottom up perspective shows that pain starts from the area affected with amputation where the signal is sent to the spinal cord then pain is indicated in the brain. This approach also argues that phantom pain is not imagined in the patient brain but felt. Therefore there is no single agreed perspective to phantom pain.Several studies have been done to explore, explain, and illustrate phantom pain. Amputees have to face both the stump and phantom pain. The amputees have other several challenges that include; self concept and self image, financial changes, physical functioning impairment, loss of independence, adapting to prosthesis use and many psychosocial adjustments. These challenges stress amputees that cause depression which in some cases lead to contemplation of suicide. Despite phantom pain having large impact to amputees, it has proven difficult to standardize it clinical management and assure patients’ quality health care (Kumar, & Saha, 2011). Kumar, & Saha, (2011), in their study established that phantom pain is both caused by peripheral and central mechanism. The changes in peripheral and central mechanisms following an amputation were found to be involved in phantom pain. Phantom pain was found to be frequent where the amputees had long-term stump pain (Mulvey, Bagnall, Johnson, & Marchant, 2010). Mulvey et al., (2010) established that phantom pain was correlated to stump temperatures. Lower temperature in stump show reduced near-surface blood flow which is correlated to burning symptoms of phantom pain. De Ridder et al., (2011), found that pressure sensitive neuromas exacerbated phantom pain. In another research, Flor (2014), found that there was neuropathic stump pain to 61% of patients with phantom pain and only 39% without phantom limb pain. Central mechanisms play a role in sensitization of dorsal horn stimulates phantom pain. An increase in peripheral nociceptors activities lead to permanent change in synaptic structure. This change leads to reduced inhibitory processes and then lead to increase in excitability making neurons prone to fire effected causing persistent phantom pain. Flor, (2014) concluded that both central and peripheral aspects have a role in causing phantom pain. Phantom pain is therefore caused by peripheral and central mechanisms.

End of preview

Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.

Related Documents
Phantom Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
|9
|2436
|22

Phantom Pain: Causes, Treatment, and Management
|10
|2401
|84