Amputee Support Group & Phantom Limbs
The topic of our last amputee support group meeting was 'phantom limb sensation and phantom limb pain'. This topic drew the largest crowd yet. We discussed many aspects of this experience and distinguished between phantom limb sensation and pain, both of which occur in the limb that is no longer there. An example of sensation would be your toes (that are no longer there) curling or itching. Pain is, well, pain. Most people in the group had experienced various severities of one or both. Some people live with extremely uncomfortable phantom sensations, or pain that disrupts daily living activities. We were lucky to have Jose de la Torre, MD, as our guest speaker. He reviewed a number of pain management techniques, medication, and alternative methods of treatment. We also had MEDI USA come and present some products that have been shown as effective. This was a great opportunity for people to share stories. Anyone who wanted to discuss their experience had the chance to, and I think it did a lot of good for everyone. Talking about that experience, especially to others who can empathize, is… well, it’s good medicine.