Scalp acupuncture stops chronic phantom limb pain in a traumatic amputee

Phantom limb pain is often excruciating and almost impossible to treat. However in a case report, Taiwanese researchers claim that scalp acupuncture stops chronic phantom limb pain and phantom limb sensation, published in Acupunct Med, the official journal of British Medical Acupuncture Society.

Phantom limb pain appears to come from where the amputated limb used to be and is often excruciating. Phantom limb sensations, which are not painful, may be felt in the absent limb. It has been reported that three quarters of amputees develop phantom pain, which is described as shooting, stabbing and burning. Phantom pain can last for many years but sometimes it gets better as time passes. It is believed that damage to nerve endings and altered neuronal activities in the brain as a result of the loss of sensory input from amputated limb are important factors in the development of phantom pain. Medications and motor cortex stimulation are often recommended treatments and have the limited effects.

A case study of scalp acupuncture to an amputee with chronic phantom limb pain and sensation was conducted in Taiwan. A 71-year-old woman with her right arm being amputated surgically below the elbow developed phantom pain and sensation. She was treated with barbiturates, antidepressants, muscle relaxants and analgesics for two years. However, the drugs did not improve her conditions. She was then treated with scalp acupuncture at the line MS7 and Sishencong, twice a week for three weeks. Immediately after the first treatment the patient noted a significant relief of pain and sensation. After the second acupuncture the pain, measured by Visual Analogue Scale, was 4 compared 10 before the acupuncture. A six-month follow up showed that the patient was free from both phantom limb pain and sensation.

It is believed this is the first report of using scalp acupuncture to treat phantom limb pain and sensation. This suggests that scalp acupuncture can be an excellent alternative approach to those patients who do not respond well to the conventional treatment.  

Reference:

Tseng CC et al., Successful treatment of phantom limb pain and phantom limb sensation in the traumatic amputee using scalp acupuncture. Acupunct Med. 2014 May 22. pii: acupmed-2014-010556.    http://aim.bmj.com/content/early/2014/05/22/acupmed-2014-010556.extract