Phantom sensation and phantom pain
Feeling the missing leg is so common that it is almost expected. Many people feel their toes, the shape of the foot or the position of the knee. Some feel the leg at a strange length, or shrinking over time. Phantom pain is different: it hurts. It can come and go, and may be worse at night, in cold weather or when you are tired or stressed.
Why it happens
The brain keeps a map of the whole body. After an amputation, the part of the map for the leg is still there and still active, and the cut nerves in the stump keep sending signals. The brain reads these as coming from the missing leg. It is not imagined, and it is nothing to be embarrassed about.
What can help
- Mirror therapy: watching the reflection of the sound leg move in a mirror placed where the missing leg would be
- Touch: gently massaging, tapping or rubbing the stump once it has healed
- Compression: a well-fitted shrinker sock
- Wearing the leg: many people find phantom pain eases once they walk on a leg
- Warmth and rest: keeping the stump warm and avoiding exhaustion
- Medicine: some medicines help nerve pain; only your doctor should prescribe them
Stump pain is different
Pain felt in the stump itself, rather than the missing leg, often has a physical cause: a pressure point in the socket, a sensitive nerve end (a neuroma) or a skin problem. If the pain is worse when the leg is on, the socket may need adjusting; come in and we will check it.
When to speak to your doctor
Speak to your doctor if phantom pain stops you sleeping, gets worse rather than better over the months, or affects your mood. Do not take other people's medicines or increase doses yourself. Pain specialists can help with pain that does not settle.