BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuPhantom limb painAmputation - phantom limbAfter one of your limbs is amputated, you may feel as if the limb is still there. This is called phantom sensation. You may feel:AmputatedTraumatic amputation is the loss of a body part, usually a finger, toe, arm, or leg, that occurs as the result of an accident or injury.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Pain in your limb even though it is physically not there Tingly Prickly Numb Hot or cold Like your missing toes or fingers are moving Like your missing limb is still there, or is in a funny position Like your missing limb is getting shorter (telescoping) What to ExpectThese feelings slowly get weaker. You should also feel them less often. They may not ever go away completely.Pain in the missing part of the arm or leg is called phantom pain. You may feel:Sharp or shooting pain Achy pain Burning pain Cramping pain Some things may make phantom pain worse, such as:Being too tired Putting too much pressure on the stump or parts of the arm or leg that are still there Changes in the weather Stress Infection An artificial limb that does not fit properly Poor blood flow Swelling in the part of the arm or leg that is still there Self-careTry to relax in a way that works for you. Do deep breathing or pretend to relax the missing arm or leg.Reading, listening to music, or doing something that takes your mind off the pain may help. You may also try taking a warm bath if your surgery wound is completely healed.Takes your mind offChronic pain can limit your everyday activities and make it hard to work. It can also affect how involved you are with friends and family members. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ask your health care provider if you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), or other medicines that help with pain.The following may also help lessen phantom pain.Keep the remaining part of your arm or leg warm. Move or exercise the remaining part of your arm or leg. If you are wearing your prosthesis, take it off. If you are not wearing it, put it on. If you have swelling in the remaining part of your arm or leg, try wearing an elastic bandage. Wear a shrinker sock or compression stocking. Try gently tapping or rubbing your stump. Open ReferencesReferencesBang MS, Jung SH. Phantom limb pain. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 108.Dinakar P. Pain management. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff’s Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022: chap 52.Waldman SD. Phantom limb pain. In: Waldman SD, ed. Atlas of Common Pain Syndromes. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 103.AllVideoImagesTogSelf Care Phantom limb painRelated Information Leg or foot amputation(Surgery)Foot amputation - discharge(Discharge)Leg amputation - discharge(Discharge)Leg or foot amputation - dressing change(Self-Care)Bathroom safety for adults(Self-Care)Surgical wound care - open(Self-Care)Preventing falls(Self-Care)Diabetes - foot ulcers(Self-Care)Managing your blood sugar(Self-Care)Controlling your high blood pressure(Self-Care)Diabetes - type 1 - InDepth(In-Depth)Diabetes - type 2 - InDepth(In-Depth)Peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 5/2/2022 Reviewed By: Amit M. Shelat, DO, FACP, FAAN, Attending Neurologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Phantom limb painAmputation - phantom limbAfter one of your limbs is amputated, you may feel as if the limb is still there. This is called phantom sensation. You may feel:AmputatedTraumatic amputation is the loss of a body part, usually a finger, toe, arm, or leg, that occurs as the result of an accident or injury.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Pain in your limb even though it is physically not there Tingly Prickly Numb Hot or cold Like your missing toes or fingers are moving Like your missing limb is still there, or is in a funny position Like your missing limb is getting shorter (telescoping) What to ExpectThese feelings slowly get weaker. You should also feel them less often. They may not ever go away completely.Pain in the missing part of the arm or leg is called phantom pain. You may feel:Sharp or shooting pain Achy pain Burning pain Cramping pain Some things may make phantom pain worse, such as:Being too tired Putting too much pressure on the stump or parts of the arm or leg that are still there Changes in the weather Stress Infection An artificial limb that does not fit properly Poor blood flow Swelling in the part of the arm or leg that is still there Self-careTry to relax in a way that works for you. Do deep breathing or pretend to relax the missing arm or leg.Reading, listening to music, or doing something that takes your mind off the pain may help. You may also try taking a warm bath if your surgery wound is completely healed.Takes your mind offChronic pain can limit your everyday activities and make it hard to work. It can also affect how involved you are with friends and family members. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ask your health care provider if you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), or other medicines that help with pain.The following may also help lessen phantom pain.Keep the remaining part of your arm or leg warm. Move or exercise the remaining part of your arm or leg. If you are wearing your prosthesis, take it off. If you are not wearing it, put it on. If you have swelling in the remaining part of your arm or leg, try wearing an elastic bandage. Wear a shrinker sock or compression stocking. Try gently tapping or rubbing your stump. Open ReferencesReferencesBang MS, Jung SH. Phantom limb pain. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 108.Dinakar P. Pain management. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff’s Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022: chap 52.Waldman SD. Phantom limb pain. In: Waldman SD, ed. Atlas of Common Pain Syndromes. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 103.