It’s very common for an amputee to experience some level of phantom pain. It feels as if the pain is in the missing limb or as if the limb were still there.

Please check with your doctor before trying any of the following suggestions.

1. Wrap the residual limb in a warm, soft fabric, such as a towel. The warmth will sometimes increase circulation. A heating pad may also help.
2. Mentally exercise the missing limb in the area where it is painful.
3. Mentally relax the missing limb and your residual limb.
4. Do some mild overall exercise to increase circulation.
5. Exercise the residual limb.
6. Tighten the muscles in the residual limb and slowly release.
7. Put on an Ace wrap or shrinker sock. If you have your prosthesis, put it on and take a short walk.
8. If you have discomfort while wearing your prosthesis, take it and your prosthetic sock off and put it back on after a few minutes. Sometimes the residual limb is being pinched and changing the way it’s donned will relieve the pressure.
9. Change positions. If you are sitting, move around in your chair or stand up to allow the blood to flow to your residual limb.
10. Soak in a warm bath or sue a shower massager on your residual limb.
11. Massage residual limb with your hands.
12. Keep a diary of when pain is most severe. Some amputees have found a relationship between some foods and their pain.
13. Eat juniper berry extract and /or capsules. (Found at health food stores)

Above all, get moving. Stand up, go for a walk, lift some weights. Often, increased circulation to your residual limb will reduce the pain.

Some have found help through self-hypnosis, biofeedback and chiropractic. If you have not found relief through any home remedies and the pain is not being controlled through normal medications, a pain center can certainly be considered. Hopefully the pain will lessen with time as nature takes its course.