Phantom limb pain is when people feel pain in a limb that’s been amputated. Imagine you lose your hand, but it still feels like it's there, and it hurts. It happens because the brain thinks the limb is still attached. The nerves in the stump keep sending signals to the brain, and the brain gets confused, thinking something is wrong with the missing limb.
Examples
- A man who had his leg amputated feels a burning pain in his foot, even though it's gone.
- A woman with her arm removed still feels like she's getting pinched by a pencil.
- After losing his hand, a boy can't stop feeling that he has a broken finger.
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See also
- What are neurological mechanisms?
- What are neurological differences?
- What is amnesia?
- What is neurological?
- What is Brain’s hemispheres?