If you have lost a limb or another part of your body, you may feel painful sensations that seem to be coming from the missing part. This phenomenon is called “phantom pain.” It is common among amputees. It can become a chronic problem for some people.

Symptoms:

• Onset within the first week after amputation, though it can be delayed by months or longer
• Pain that comes and goes or is continuous
• Symptoms affecting the part of the limb farthest from the body, such as the foot of an amputated leg
• A shooting, stabbing, cramping, pins and needles, crushing, throbbing, or burning sensation