The Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Applied to Contralateral Limbs for the Phantom Limb Pain

Abstract

We studied the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on phantom limb pain (PLP) in amputees. The TENS was applied to the sites of the contralateral limb which corresponded to the portion of the amputated limbs where the patients felt their PLP. The stimulation was carried out three times a day for 30 min each. A total of ten amputees (8 lower extremities and 2 upper extremities), mean age of 57 years, suffering from severe PLP which hampered prosthetic and walking training, were included in this study. Using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the patients themselves evaluated the immediate and accumulated effects of the treatment on their pain. As a result of the treatment, 9 weeks on average, there was significant pain relief with a final VAS of 1.2 ± 1.9 compared with the initial VAS of 5.5 ± 1.7 (p<0.001). An immediate excellent effect was obtained in 8 patients and good in 2, although the accumulated effect was ascertained in 8. The effect was not only on the degree and duration but also on the area of the pain. Reduction of the pain resulted in better appetite and sleep as well as prosthetic and walking training. The TENS of the contralateral limb was considered to be the preferred choice for treatment for the PLP.