M.D. The purpose of this article is to inform you of the various techniques and types of drugs currently available for pain control with medicines. The author, editor and the ACA do not recommend any one specific drug or intervention. Our intention is to educate and to inform. By having an understanding of what is available and how and why specific drugs and treatments work, you will be better able to discuss your options with your health care professionals and make informed decisions. You'll be better able to take an active role in managing your own pain, and in choosing among the treatment options currently available for treating pain, before surgery, immediately after surgery, and for the long-term treatment of chronic post amputation pain, both stump and phantom pain.
Medicines are only one of many types of pain treatment.
These will be addressed in future articles. The causes of pre and post amputation pain are as varied and individual as the number of people reading this article. Although very common after amputation, not all people go on to develop long-term chronic phantom pain. It is a major problem at first, however, the natural course of pain is usually to decrease in both frequency and severity with time. The degree of pain also varies from person to person, and therefore, the treatments will be different.