Phantom limb pain protocol of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for chronic pain: a case report

Abstract

A 70-year-old woman, who had severe limb pain with paresis after lumbar spinal column surgery for 8 years, received phantom limb pain protocol of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). She was told that the paresis and pain in the limb was caused by the surgery to the lumbar spine. The pain disappeared after one session of EMDR. Follow-up interview three months after EMDR did not show any recurrence of pain. The phantom limb pain protocol of EMDR is effective for the treatment of chronic pain with psychological factors in some selected patients.