Symptom >> Psychiatry >> Psychiatry

Phantom limb pain

Introduction
Cause
Examine
Diagnosis

Introduction

Introduction Phantom limb pain, also known as limb phantom pain, refers to the limbs where the subjective sensation has been cut off, and accompanied by severe pain, and the pain appears at the distal end of the broken limb, which is actually an illusion. But most of them are combined with amputation pain.

Cause

Cause

Phantom limb pain may be related to changes in various aspects of sensory afferent, such as peripheral receptors, sensory afferent fibers, spinal cord conduction pathways, thalamus, and even cortex changes, and phantom limb pain has a certain relationship with the patient's psychological state. However, after experimental demonstration, the cerebral cortical function reorganization after amputation may be directly related to the formation of phantom limb pain. Peripheral noxious stimulation may be one of the main causes of cerebral cortical function reorganization.

Examine

an examination

Related inspection

Bone and joint MRI examination of brain ultrasound examination of brain CT examination

The psychological barrier of the patient is closely related to the phantom limb pain. The patient is psychologically difficult to accept the facts and cannot get rid of the psychological trauma caused by the injured limb. Losing a complete self is different from ordinary people. And the physically disabled people are often in the eye of everyone, which brings mental stress and pain to the patients, so that patients will often recall the good old days. Therefore, it is difficult for patients to change their original thinking and movement habits in a short period of time after amputation, thus causing psychological obstacles.

(1). Pain usually occurs after amputation, and the site is mainly at the distal end of the removed limb. In fact, this part of the limb has been cut off.

(2). The degree and nature of pain vary greatly, and may be pulsatile pain, burning pain, acupuncture pain, drilling pain or pressure, strong sense of straightness, itching, and the like.

(3). Most of the pain is paroxysmal or aggravated, often in a quiet or nighttime episode. Emotional changes, climate change, fatigue or other diseases can induce or aggravate pain.

(4). The amputation stump may have scar induration or neuroma, local skin hypersensitivity, light touch can cause radiation pain of the entire limb.

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

Subjective sensory impairment: Subjective sensory impairment refers to the abnormal feeling that occurs spontaneously inside the body without any external stimuli. Includes paresthesia and spontaneous pain. The psychological barrier of the patient is closely related to the phantom limb pain. The patient is psychologically difficult to accept the facts and cannot get rid of the psychological trauma caused by the injured limb. Losing a complete self is different from ordinary people. And the physically disabled people are often in the eye of everyone, which brings mental stress and pain to the patients, so that patients will often recall the good old days. Therefore, it is difficult for patients to change their original thinking and movement habits in a short period of time after amputation, thus causing psychological obstacles.