Treatment strategies for phantom limb pain

Abstract

Although 50-80% of amputees are confronted with the phenomenon of phantom limb pain, treatment strategies with high enduring positive effects are yet to be developed. Most conventional drug therapies provide pain reduction to a very limited extent and are ineffective in a significant number of patients. Psychological interventions, which are becoming more prominent, currently do not result in complete pain reduction and increase in quality of life on a long-term basis. However, during the past two decades, growing interest in research of underlying central mechanisms for phantom limb pain has promoted substantial progress in behavioral treatment strategies. New emerging treatment methods include biofeedback training, mirror therapy, graded motor imagery, rubber hand illusion training, and virtual reality immersion.