Diseases and Conditions
Phantom pain
Preparing for an appointment
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Lifestyle and home remedies
Coping and support
Risk factors
Not everyone who has an amputation develops phantom pain. Some factors that may increase your risk of phantom pain include:
- Pain before amputation. Some researchers have found that people who had pain in a limb before amputation are likely to have it afterward. This may be because the brain holds on to the memory of the pain and keeps sending pain signals, even after the limb is removed.
- Residual limb pain. People who have persistent pain in the remaining part of the limb usually have phantom pain, too. Residual limb pain can be caused by an abnormal growth on damaged nerve endings (neuroma) that often results in painful nerve activity.