Phantom pain is experienced by residents who have had which medical event?

• A. Amputations
• B. Stroke
• C. Arthritis
• D. Diabetes

Answer: (A)

Phantom pain is the sensation of pain in a limb that has been removed. This happens because the brain’s wiring for that limb remains active after the physical limb is gone, and nerve signals that used to reach the limb can be interpreted as pain even though the limb isn’t present. That’s why this phenomenon is associated with amputation.

Other events like a stroke, arthritis, or diabetes don’t produce phantom limb pain. A stroke can cause various sensory or motor changes, arthritis causes joint pain, and diabetes can lead to neuropathy in remaining limbs, but none create a painful sensation in a limb that no longer exists.

For someone who has had an amputation, recognize that the pain is real and discuss it with the care team to manage it appropriately.