While prosthetics is essentially a scientific field dealing primarily with helping amputees regain their ease of movement and ability, there is much research and interest in dealing with the psychological effects of amputation. From cutting-edge research in cognitive patterns of amputees to help quicken the rehabilitation process to helping patients deal with residual issues such as the constant realization that they’ve permanently lost a part of themselves, prosthetics is as much a science as it is about healing the minds of patients.

Phantom Pain originates not in the nerves but in the brain

Phantom pain is just one of such problems facing doctors and patients. Essentially, phantom pain is the sensation of a limb when it’s not present, or the extreme deformation or shortening of the limb (for example, some amputees have reported that they’ve felt their hands attached directly to their shoulders), sensation known as ‘telescoping’. Phantom limb pain is usually a burning, stinging, electric pain, and can increase under anxiety and stress. While it is quite common at initial stages, in time our body (and our nervous system) learns to adapt and the phantom pain tends to diminish and later on disappear (although it may reappear during periods of extreme stress or traumatic dreams). If it lasts, this may indicate a problem with the rehabilitation process or even a defect in the attached prosthetic. Then again, it could also be a case of our mind refusing to come to terms with the loss of a limb.

There are two main theories explaining phantom pain and they are both applicable to patients. The first theory contends that phantom limbs and phantom pain are mere expressions of the trauma of losing a body part experienced by the patient. Therefore, phantom pain is all in the ‘mind’, can be controlled, and perhaps eliminated. The second theory shows through empirical evidence that phantom pain is a direct result of nerve sensations (ranging from mild tingling to extreme pain). Within the medical profession there are conflicting views on the actual source of these sensations. One view is that phantom pain results as a consequence of the remaining nerves that keep generating signals. Another view is that in the absence of any (expected) response or sensory input from the limb, the spinal cord initiates excessive spontaneous impulses.

Although the first theory may seem simplistic in the face of medical evidence that clearly points to a mixture of excessive signals sent by the spinal cord and impulses generated by residual nerves, there is some truth in it. We, has human beings, are creatures of habit. Our bodies too have been attuned to certain types of sensory input and required responses. In the absence of such input (due to a missing body part) our consciousness (along with our body) takes considerable time to adapt. We might reach out for a glass on the table without thinking, and without the requisite limb, we may still get the feeling of an arm reaching out and a hand holding the glass. Such sensations are akin to ghost traces left in the cognitive and memory regions of our brains, and subsequently, our minds.