characteristics of pain of phantom limb

Last reviewed 01/2018

Various types of pain may occur:

• most common descriptions are of burning, shooting or crushing pain, usually in the phantom fingers or toes, but not necessarily in the normal positions - the patient may have the sensation that the limb has been shortened with the digits up in the stump - the patient may describe their phantom arm in a distorted awkward posture with the fingers clenched painfully into the palm
• pain in the stump may be same as the pain experienced in the phantom limb - occasionally there may be tender trigger points