What do phantom limbs tell us?
Finally, phantom limbs also allow us to explore intersensory effects and the manner in which the brain constructs and updates a “body image” throughout life. The phenomenon of phantom limbs has been known since antiquity and has always been shrouded in mystery.
Which part of the brain is involved in the phantom limb syndrome?
A popular theory of the cause of phantom limb pain is faulty ‘wiring’ of the sensorimotor cortex, the part of the brain that is responsible for processing sensory inputs and executing movements.
What is phantom limb syndrome?
Phantom limb syndrome is a condition in which patients experience sensations, whether painful or otherwise, in a limb that does not exist. It has been reported to occur in 80-100% of amputees, and typically has a chronic course, often resistant to treatment.
How do I stop phantom pains?
Medications used in the treatment of phantom pain include:
- Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) might relieve phantom pain.
- Antidepressants.
- Anticonvulsants.
- Narcotics.
- N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists.
What is Ramachandran’s mirror box?
Ramachandran to treat post-amputation patients who suffered from phantom-limb pain (PLP). Ramachandran created a visual (and psychological) illusion of two intact limbs by putting the patient’s affected limb into a “mirror box,” with a mirror down the center (facing toward a patient’s intact limb).
How do you control phantom pain?
These include:
- Acupuncture.
- Massage of the residual limb.
- Use of a shrinker.
- Repositioning of the residual limb by propping on a pillow or cushion.
- Mirror box therapy.
- Biofeedback.
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Virtual reality therapy.
What is a Apotemnophilia?
Background: The syndrome of apotemnophilia, body integrity or amputee identity disorder, is defined as the desire for amputation of a healthy limb, and may be accompanied by behaviour of pretending to be an amputee and sometimes, but not necessarily, by sexual arousal.
What are the limbs?
‘The limbs’ describes the anatomy of the upper limb—divided into the arm between shoulder and elbow; the forearm between elbow and wrist; and the hand below the wrist—and the lower limb, which is divided into the thigh between hip and knee; the leg between knee and ankle; and the foot below the ankle.