According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, almost every amputee experiences phantom limb sensations and phantom pain. The cause is not yet understood. It’s believed that the “the remaining nerve connections in the spinal cord and brain ‘remember’ the body part, and can cause a compelling sensation that it is still there (phantom limb syndrome) or severe pain (phantom pain syndrome).” Surgeons focus on the remaining nerves during the operation to try to reduce the severity of the phantom pain. Unfortunately, for many amputees, it is a lifelong repercussion.