A recent study has identified gaps in how post-amputation pain is evaluated and treated, finding that pain after lower limb amputation isn't a single condition, but instead can present as different types of pain depending on the design of a patient's prosthetic and their level of activity.

Jason Hoellwarth, MD, a limb reconstruction and osseointegration surgeon at HSS shared that the study “emphasizes emerging and established principles of pain management for amputees: that there are direct sources of pain such as from the residual amputated limb, somewhat local non-musculoskeletal pain such as nerve-based pain, and non-local pain from compensatory adaptations such as low back pain."

“As with any problem, the true origin must be diagnosed, which allows the [pain] to be directly and potentially more thoroughly treated,” said Dr. Hoellwarth. 

Read the full article at painmedicinenews.com.