Treating Phantom Limb Pain with Ketamine

Symptoms of Phantom Limb

• Pain that comes and goes
• Shooting pain
• Cramping
• Pins-and-needles sensation
• Throbbing
• Burning

Neurology of the Phantom Limb

Until recently, the most common explanation for phantom limbs was irritation in severed nerve endings (also known as “neuromas”). Many severed nerve endings are terminated at the remaining stump when a limb is removed. These nerve terminals can become inflamed, causing abnormal signals to be sent to the brain.

In severe situations, surgeons may conduct a second amputation to shorten the stump in the hopes of eliminating the irritated nerve endings and providing temporary respite from the phantom agony. Instead, the patients’ phantom pains worsened, and many of them were left with the sensation of both the original phantom limb and a new phantom stump, each with its own anguish. In some instances, surgeons have had to sever sensory nerves running into the spinal cord and, in extreme cases, destroyed the section of the thalamus that receives sensory impulses from the body.

Tim Pons of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) demonstrated in the early 1990s that sensory input can cause the brain to restructure. The right hemisphere receives input from the left side of the body, and vice versa. The somatosensory homonculus is a depiction of the sequence in which the input from the extremities enters the somatosensory cortex. The input from the hand is next to the arm’s input, the input from the foot is next to the hand’s input, and so on. One peculiarity is that face input is placed adjacent to hand input.

Ketamine Treatment for Phantom Limb Pain

Phantom Limb discomfort can be efficiently treated with IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy. SCS (spinal cord stimulation) is a therapy option for phantom pain. An electrode is put adjacent to the spinal cord, and an electrical stimulator is implanted under the skin. An electric current stimulates the nerve pathways in the spinal cord. This reduces the discomfort in the phantom limb by interfering with the signals that flow to the brain. Amputees instead experience a tingling sensation in their phantom limb.
Treatments such as vibration therapy, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback may be used to cure phantom pain, but they are typically ineffective. Attempting to distract yourself and take your mind off of the discomfort may help. It may be beneficial to massage the stump.

While patients may find relief through various forms of therapy, numerous patients are reporting tremendous relief and benefits when treating their phantom limb with ketamine therapy. Recent studies have shown that ketamine provides tremendous relief when treating the pain associated with phantom limb.

Phantom pain can be decreased by preoperative pain management, but good pain control with analgesics or neuroleptics is essential for planned amputation. The preoperative sensations appear to be implanted in the brain.

Side-Effects of Ketamine

According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, the following have been reported as side-effects associated with ketamine therapy. You should contact your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Confusion

• Feelings of joy
• Feeling “detached” from your body
• Hallucinations
• Decreased sensitivity to pain
• Nausea
• Anxiety or panic
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Confusion