A comparison of phantom sensations among amputees whose amputations were of civilian and military origins

Abstract

People (436) experiencing phantom limb pain, whose amputations were unrelated to military service, filled out a survey concerning stump, phantom and other pain problems as well as demographic data. Their responses were compared with responses of American veterans, whose amputations were related to military service, who filled out an identical survey. The experiences of the 2 groups and the characteristics of the reported phantom sensations were remarkably similar. Treatment effectiveness was equally dismal for both groups with about 1% reporting effective relief.