Phantom limb pain is the name given to unpleasant sensations and pain experienced due to the absence of a limb from birth or following the loss of a limb through amputation.
The cause of phantom limb pain is not known and it is experienced differently by each individual, but it affects 75-80% of amputees at some point after amputation. In some cases symptoms can be so severe that they disrupt sleep and negatively impact mood and quality of life.
Treatment for phantom limb pain includes painkillers, specialised physiotherapy (such as mirror therapy), psychological counselling and therapies such as guided imagery.
The link I have included below is to an abstract of a pilot study with the objective “to evaluate the possibility of reflexology being used as a non-invasive form of phantom limb pain relief and of empowering patients to maintain any positive results with self-treatment”
The study was carried out over a 30 week period (with 5 different phases) and involved 10 participants with unilateral lower limb amputations. A combination of full foot reflexology, full hand reflexology and self-administered hand reflexology techniques were incorporated.
The study concluded that: “The project indicated that reflexology treatment, teaching and self-treatment were effective in eradicating or reducing the intensity and duration of phantom limb pain, in this group of clients. The follow-up questionnaire revealed that there was a maintained improvement in the intensity of phantom limb pain the patients experienced and that the majority still self-treated.”
Brown, Christine Ann; Lido, Catherine
Complement Ther Clin Pract 2008 2 14 124-131
References for this blog:
The Nerve Surgery Centre Pain After Limb Amputation. Available at: https://nervesurgery.uk/residual-limb-pain/ (Accessed 29 July 2025).
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Phantom Limb Pain. Available at: https://roh.nhs.uk/services-information/oncology/phantom-limb-pain (Accessed 29 July 2025).