Signs and Symptoms of PLP

Since its, Star Wars day:

(http://onearmchick.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html)

We have briefly touched on the common symptoms of phantom limb pain.

In about 50-80% of all amputees, there will be some sort of pain present in the part of the body that no loner exists.  There are also some non-painful phantom sensations that may include a specific position, shape, or movement of the phantom, feelings of warmth or cold, itching, tingling, or electric sensations, and other paraesthesias.

The pain that is felt in the phantom limb seems to be more intense in the distal portions of the phantom limb and can have several different qualities, such as stabbing, throbbing, burning, or cramping.

Rates are variable, some clinical research studies have found that phantom pain decreases years after the surgery, but sometimes the phantom limb pain can actually get worse years after the surgery.

(http://www.scienceshorts.com/020208.htm)

References:

Flor, H. (2002). Phantom-limb Pain: Characteristics, Causes, And Treatment. The Lancet Neurology, 1(3), 182-189.