Researchers gave a critical review of the current literature on functional outcomes and pain management for patients who underwent limb amputation, patients who not only encounter mobility loss but also residual limb pain, psychological stress, but disparities in access to healthcare as well.
In terms of pharmacological therapies, researchers found that gabapentinoids and antidepressants provide minimal relief for post-amputation pain, whereas surgical techniques including targeted muscle reinnervation and regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces have resulted in much larger improvements in decreasing neuroma-related and phantom limb pain.
The nonpharmacological therapies, including mirror therapy, graded motor imagery, and virtual reality are some of the most effective interventions for reduction of phantom limb pain, researchers determined. Functional improvement can be optimized through microprocessor-controlled prostheses, osseointegration, and early rehabilitation with an emphasis on resistance training, mobility, and psychological support.
Newer techniques including neuromodulation and artificial intelligence-enhanced prosthetic control also play a part in rehabilitation; however, evidence is limited due to their novel introduction to the rehabilitation space.
Overall, a multidisciplinary and individualized multimodal approach to rehabilitation remains the gold standard to improve pain control, quality of life, and functional restoration, the study found.
The open access study, “Multimodal Approaches for Pain Management and Improving Functional Outcomes Following Amputation,” was published in journal, Fortune.
