Electrical Stimulation-Based Sensory Feedback in Phantom Limb Pain Treatment

Following amputation, up to 80% amputees perceive pain in the missing part of the arm or leg, known as phantom limb pain. Why phantom limb pain occurs has not been fully understood and the pain can be very difficult to relieve. This Ph.D. dissertation describes diverse features, existing treatments, and possible causes of phantom limb pain. Particularly it focuses on a promising treatment by proving sensory feedback that is lost in amputees due to removal of a limb. The results of the research studies involved in the thesis may contribute to develop a non-invasive, drug-free pain management approach for those amputee patients suffering from phantom limb pain.