Wikenigma - an Encyclopedia of Unknowns Wikenigma - an Encyclopedia of the Unknown
Phantom Pain - also known as Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) - is pain felt in a body-part which has been surgically removed or lost due to injury.
For amputees and those who've suffered limb-loss accidents it's extremely common - over 80% experiencing it at some stage. It can be persistent over many years. The pain, which can be severe, seems to originate at the location of the now-absent amputated part, rather than at the so-called 'stump' of the limb. The condition is poorly understood - especially as any peripheral nerve fibres which were present in the amputated part are obviously no longer there.
First hypothesized in 1551, the disease has been poorly understood for much of this time. Still today, the exact etiology of the condition is yet to be elucidated. In the periphery, PLP resembles the neuronal changes seen in other neuropathic pain conditions. However, in the central nervous system (CNS), imaging studies suggest changes unique to PLP, such as cortical reorganization. Despite a growing understanding of its underpinnings, a mechanism-based treatment is not yet available. Rather, a plethora of treatment methodologies are available with varying levels of supporting evidence and many treatments being utilized based on efficacy seen in non-PLP patients.
Source : Current Understanding of Phantom Pain and its TreatmentPain Physician, 25(7):E941-E957.
Some early theories suggested that the pain might be purely psychological, arising as a result of the trauma of amputation or injury - but fMRI brain studies now largely discount those ideas.
Drug treatments, identical to those which would be used to treat pain in an injury to a 'real' body part, are often effective.
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Wikenigma - Encyclopedia of the Unknowns - Wikenigma - Encyclopedia of the Unknown Phantom Pain - pia inajulikana kama Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) - ni maumivu yanayosikika katika sehemu ya mwili ambayo imeondolewa kwa upasuaji au kupotea kwa sababu ya jeraha. Kwa wale waliopoteza viungo vyao, ugonjwa huu ni wa kawaida sana, zaidi ya asilimia 80 ya watu wanaugua. Inaweza kuendelea kwa miaka mingi. Maumivu, ambayo yanaweza kuwa makali, yaonekana yanatokana na mahali ambapo sehemu iliyokatwa sasa haipo, badala ya mahali panapoitwa 'kizito' cha kiungo. Hali hiyo haijulikani vizuri - hasa kwa kuwa nyuzi zozote za neva za nje ambazo zilikuwa katika sehemu iliyokatwa kwa wazi hazipo tena. Kwa mara ya kwanza, ugonjwa huo uligunduliwa mwaka 1551 na kwa muda mrefu haukueleweka vizuri. Hata leo, chanzo halisi cha ugonjwa huo hakijulikani. Katika pembe, PLP inafanana na mabadiliko ya neva yanayoonekana katika hali nyingine za maumivu ya neuropathic. Hata hivyo, katika mfumo wa neva wa kati (CNS), uchunguzi wa picha unaonyesha mabadiliko ya kipekee kwa PLP, kama vile marekebisho ya cortical. Licha ya uelewa unaoongezeka wa misingi yake, matibabu yanayotegemea utaratibu bado hayapo. Badala yake, kuna njia nyingi za matibabu zinazopatikana na viwango tofauti vya ushahidi wa kuunga mkono na matibabu mengi yanatumiwa kulingana na ufanisi ulioonekana kwa wagonjwa wasio na PLP. "Mfano: ""Mtazamo wa sasa wa maumivu ya Phantom na matibabu yake"" (Pain Physician, 257: E941-597)." Baadhi ya nadharia za mapema zilionyesha kwamba maumivu yanaweza kuwa ya kisaikolojia tu, yanayotokana na majeraha ya kuondolewa kwa viungo au majeraha - lakini masomo ya ubongo ya fMRI sasa hupunguza sana mawazo hayo. Matibabu ya dawa, sawa na yale ambayo yangetumiwa kutibu maumivu katika jeraha la sehemu ya mwili ya 'kweli', mara nyingi ni yenye matokeo. Kuonyesha nyingine (random) makala Rasilimali zaidi: