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Phantom Limb Pain

Pain or other sensations that seem to come from a limb that is no longer there. The limb is gone, but the pain is real — and there are more ways to treat it than many people realize.

Call 911 now for:

  • Sudden shortness of breath, fast breathing, chest pain that gets worse when you breathe in or cough, a racing heart, coughing up blood, or fainting. These can be signs of a blood clot in the lungs, which can be life-threatening and needs treatment right away (MedlinePlus). Blood clots in the legs are one of the known complications of amputation (NHS).
  • Thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself. You can also call or text 988, the free, confidential Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night (988 Lifeline).

Contact your doctor or care team promptly for:

  • Signs of infection in the residual limb — warm, red and tender skin, fluid or pus, or swelling that keeps increasing (NHS).
  • Pain, swelling, warmth or redness in a leg (including the remaining one), which can mean a blood clot in a deep vein (MedlinePlus).
  • A wound that won’t heal, sores or skin breakdown where the limb meets the socket, or new, different or severe pain. Not all pain after an amputation is phantom pain: pain in the residual limb can come from wound-healing problems, infection of the bone, poor circulation, a neuroma or a poorly fitting prosthesis, and needs to be checked (Erlenwein et al., 2021, NHS).
  • Feeling depressed. Talk to your care team about your thoughts and feelings (NHS).

Don’t wait for a massage, acupuncture or chiropractic appointment for any of these.

What is phantom limb pain?

Phantom limb pain is ongoing pain that seems to come from the part of a limb that is no longer there. The limb is gone, but the pain is real (Amputee Coalition). The word “phantom” does not mean the feeling is imagined: brain scans studying how nerve signals reach the brain have confirmed it is a real effect (NHS). Many people are afraid to mention it in case others think they are “crazy,” but it helps to report it as soon as it starts so treatment can begin (Amputee Coalition).

Phantom sensations versus phantom pain

How common is it, and does it last?

Pooling studies from 1980 to 2019, researchers estimated that about 6 in every 10 people with an amputation report phantom pain. Risk factors included pain before the amputation, an amputation higher up the limb, residual limb pain, a leg (rather than arm) amputation, and phantom sensations (meta-analysis, PLoS One). The Amputee Coalition puts the figure nearer 80 percent (Amputee Coalition).

It usually starts soon after surgery, though it can be delayed. Episodes can last seconds, minutes, hours or longer. For most people it comes less often and for shorter spells during the first six months, but many still have some years later (Amputee Coalition, Erlenwein et al., 2021). About 1 in 10 people still have severe pain six months or more after surgery (Erlenwein et al., 2021).

Why does it happen?

Phantom pain was once thought to be mainly psychological. Research has since shifted to changes at several levels of the nervous system, and most experts think more than one process is involved (Subedi and Grossberg, 2011). In other words, it involves the whole nervous system, not just the place where the limb was removed. Three explanations are being studied most:

Depression doesn’t seem to cause phantom pain, but mood and coping style can affect how severe it is and how it changes over time (Erlenwein et al., 2021) — see “Stress, mood and trauma” below. For life after limb loss more broadly, see our Amputation & Limb Loss guide.

Side by side

Six approaches compared

For every condition we look at the same six approaches: what each involves, what it typically costs, and what a patient can realistically expect.

ApproachWhat it involves Estimated costWhat to expect
Conventional medicine (AMA) A team approach: medicines from several classes, mirror therapy and graded motor imagery, TENS, prosthesis fitting and use, talking therapies, and nerve surgery (TMR or RPNI) for neuromas or at the time of amputation. Cost estimate being researched. Medicare Part B covers medically necessary outpatient physical therapy (20% coinsurance after the deductible). Pain usually eases over the first months. No medicine is proven to work well over the long term; combining treatments seems to work best. Nerve surgery has the strongest trial results so far.
Chiropractic No direct role in phantom pain. May help back or hip pain from walking differently, which needs to be told apart from phantom pain. About $55–$100 a follow-up visit and $90–$200 for a first visit, self-pay. In one 2006 survey, most leg amputees who had tried chiropractic rated it helpful, but we found no trials. Mild soreness afterwards is common; serious problems are very rare.
Acupuncture Fine needles, listed by the Amputee Coalition and the NHS among non-drug options. About $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90. Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain. Promising but not proven: one 15-person pilot trial and case reports. Few complications with sterile, single-use needles.
Herbal medicine No herb has trustworthy evidence for phantom limb pain. Cost estimate being researched. We found little research. Some herbs may interact with antidepressants and other medicines, so check with a pharmacist first.
Massage therapy Once the wound has healed: gentle massage and desensitization of the residual limb, often as part of rehabilitation; reflexology has been tried. One national chain’s membership runs about $70–$90 a month for one session. Medicare Part B helps pay when it is part of physical therapy. Part of standard advice for residual-limb care, but we found little research on massage for phantom pain itself. Low risk; never on an unhealed wound.
MBHA Wellness Coach Tracking triggers, skin and socket care, steady prosthesis use, stress skills, sleep, staying active and connecting with peer support. Cost estimate being researched. Amputee Coalition peer visits are free. Supports — never replaces — your rehabilitation team, prosthetist and doctor.

Approach 1 of 6

Conventional medicine (AMA)

Treating phantom pain well usually takes several approaches at once. Medicines from different classes, combined with non-drug treatments, seem to work best (Amputee Coalition). People with pain after amputation probably do best with a team that can include surgeons, pain specialists, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists and a prosthetist (Erlenwein et al., 2021). The honest picture: good-quality research is thin for nearly every treatment, so expect some trial and adjustment (Erlenwein et al., 2021).

1. Medicines

We list classes only, never doses — your doctor will tailor any medicine to you, and finding the right mix with the fewest side effects takes close teamwork (Amputee Coalition).

  • General pain relievers: acetaminophen and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and corticosteroid or local anesthetic injections (NHS, Amputee Coalition). In a Cochrane review, morphine eased phantom pain in the short term compared with a placebo but caused side effects such as constipation, sleepiness and dizziness (Cochrane review).
  • Nerve-pain medicines: anticonvulsants (seizure medicines) and antidepressants, which are used for nerve pain (NHS); local anesthetics such as lidocaine and other sodium-channel blockers; NMDA-receptor antagonists; and, less often, calcitonin, beta blockers or a calcium-channel blocker, whose benefit is unclear (Subedi and Grossberg, 2011).
  • What the evidence says: the Cochrane review of 14 small trials found short-term relief with some drugs in the opioid, anticonvulsant and NMDA-antagonist groups, but judged the overall evidence inconclusive and the long-term effects unclear (Cochrane review). Don’t start, stop or change a pain medicine without your doctor.

2. Nerve-preserving surgery: TMR and RPNI

3. Physical and occupational therapy

4. Using a prosthesis, and new sensory-feedback prostheses

Several studies suggest that using a prosthesis reduces phantom pain, perhaps more so with a functional one, and that feedback through the prosthesis may help further (Erlenwein et al., 2021). Researchers are testing prostheses that send touch, position or temperature signals back to the body through the nerves, spinal cord or skin (Shokur et al., 2026). In two people with above-knee amputations, implanted electrodes that let them “feel” the knee bending and the foot touching the ground improved walking and reduced phantom pain (Petrini et al., Nature Medicine). A 2026 review says hand prostheses with sensory feedback can reduce phantom pain, but they are not yet in routine use and need proper clinical trials (Shokur et al., Lancet Neurology).

5. Other options

Other therapies used for phantom pain include biofeedback, virtual reality, imagery and music (Amputee Coalition). Brain stimulation with magnetic pulses (rTMS) gave the largest pain improvement in a 2025 analysis of 12 trials, but the studies were few and short (network meta-analysis, 2025).

What it costs

  • Physical therapy: Medicare Part B covers medically necessary outpatient therapy once your provider certifies you need it; after the deductible you pay 20% of the approved amount (Medicare.gov).
  • Medicines, nerve surgery and prostheses: cost estimate being researched.

What to expect

Symptoms generally improve over time, and the goal is to bring pain down enough to get back to living and enjoying life (Amputee Coalition). In a 2006 survey of 255 people with a leg amputation, more than half of those with phantom pain had never had any treatment for it (Hanley et al., 2006) — so if it bothers you, ask.

Find a medical doctor in our directory

Approach 2 of 6

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care doesn’t treat the nerve and brain changes behind phantom pain, and we found no trials of it for phantom pain. It may have a place for a different problem: walking differently or compensating for a missing limb can lead to back, hip and other muscle and joint pain, which can spread toward the residual limb and must be told apart from phantom pain (Erlenwein et al., 2021). See our Back Pain guide.

What the research says

  • In a 2006 survey of 255 people with a leg amputation, chiropractic care and opioids were the only treatments that most people who had tried them rated moderately to extremely helpful for phantom pain (Hanley et al., 2006). A survey of personal ratings can’t show that a treatment works.
  • For low back pain in general (not amputee-specific), spinal manipulation may lead to small improvements in pain and function (NCCIH).

Safety

Mild to moderate side effects such as more pain, stiffness or headache are common and usually pass within 24 hours. Serious problems, including strokes linked to neck manipulation, have been reported but are very rare (NCCIH). Tell the chiropractor about your amputation and prosthesis, and ask your prosthetist to check the fit too.

What it costs

Self-pay follow-up visits typically run about $55–$100, with a first visit about $90–$200; a course of several weeks can come to $500–$1,000 (The Pricer).

Find a chiropractor in our directory

Approach 3 of 6

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is on the Amputee Coalition’s list of complementary therapies for phantom pain (Amputee Coalition), and the NHS describes it as thought to stimulate the nervous system and relieve pain (NHS).

What the research says

The best study we found is a small 2016 pilot trial. Fifteen people with a leg amputation and phantom pain had eight acupuncture sessions over four weeks plus usual care, or usual care alone. The acupuncture group reported meaningful drops in average and worst pain, but the trial was designed to test whether a bigger study was possible. The authors called for a larger trial with blinding (pilot trial, Trials). Most other reports describe single cases (Subedi and Grossberg, 2011). In short: promising, not proven.

Safety

Relatively few complications have been reported; problems have come from non-sterile needles and poor technique. The FDA requires needles to be sterile and labeled for single use (NCCIH). Ask your care team before needling near a healing incision.

What it costs

About $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90 a visit (The Pricer). Medicare Part B covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain (Medicare.gov), not for phantom pain.

Find an acupuncturist in our directory

Approach 4 of 6

Herbal medicine

We found little research on herbs for phantom limb pain. One example is a short 2016 letter about a Japanese herbal formula, yokukansan (Sugasawa, 2016). German pain specialists list cannabinoids among the medicines it may be reasonable to consider for nerve pain, based on clinical experience rather than trial evidence (Erlenwein et al., 2021). Nothing here is strong enough to recommend, and no herb should replace the care your team provides.

Safety. Many people with phantom pain take nerve-pain medicines. Some herbs may interact with medicines — ginseng, for example, with some antidepressants, and goldenseal carries a high risk of interactions because it blocks enzymes that break down more than half of common drugs (NCCIH). Check with your pharmacist or doctor before taking any supplement.

Approach 5 of 6

Massage therapy

Hands-on care is part of standard advice for the residual limb. Before a prosthesis is fitted, gently tapping the skin, compression and rubbing the skin help make the limb less sensitive (NHS). The NHS lists massage “to increase circulation and stimulate muscles” among self-help measures that may relieve stump and phantom pain (NHS), and massage appears on lists of supportive therapies for phantom pain (Subedi and Grossberg, 2011).

What the research says

  • We found little research testing massage itself for phantom pain.
  • Reflexology: in a 2008 pilot study, 10 people with a leg amputation had reflexology on the remaining foot and on the hand on the amputated side, then learned to treat their own hands. Their phantom pain eased and stayed better a year later (Brown and Lido, 2008). With no comparison group, this can’t show that reflexology caused the change.

Safety

The risk of harm from massage appears low, but rare serious problems such as a blood clot, nerve injury or broken bone have been reported, some with vigorous deep-tissue work (NCCIH). Never massage an unhealed incision, and choose a therapist who has worked with amputees.

What it costs

One national chain’s membership costs about $70–$90 a month for one 60-minute session (The Pricer). When massage and desensitization are part of physical therapy, Medicare Part B helps pay; you pay 20% after the deductible (Medicare.gov).

Find a massage therapist in our directory

Approach 6 of 6

MBHA Wellness Coach

An MBHA Wellness Coach can help with the daily habits that make phantom pain easier to live with — alongside, never instead of, your rehabilitation team and prosthetist.

Know your triggers

Possible triggers include touch, urinating or a bowel movement, sex, smoking, changes in air pressure, shingles and cold. Some can be avoided — for example by preventing constipation or stopping smoking — and noting what sets off an episode helps your provider (Amputee Coalition). Stress, anxiety, exhaustion and depression are also thought to make it worse (Subedi and Grossberg, 2011). A simple diary of when pain starts, how bad it is and what was happening is a good place to begin.

Skin, socket and prosthesis

Stress and coping skills

Stress and phantom pain feed each other, and lowering stress and tension is a promising part of treatment (Fuchs et al., 2018). Catastrophizing — expecting the worst about pain — seems to make phantom pain worse and can be worked on (Fuchs et al., 2018). A coach can help you practice relaxation, plan rest and activity, and build routines that help you sleep.

Peer support

The Amputee Coalition’s free Certified Peer Visitor Program connects you with a trained volunteer who has lived with limb loss or limb difference (Amputee Coalition). Call 888-267-5669 for information (Amputee Coalition).

Another approach

Treatments at a glance

Phantom limb pain treatments: how they work and what the evidence shows
TreatmentHow it worksKey benefit and evidence
MedicinesSeveral classes act on pain and nerve signals (Subedi)Some give short-term relief; long-term evidence unclear (Cochrane)
TMR surgeryCut nerves are moved to nearby motor nerves in muscle (Valerio)Promising: a small randomized trial favored it over standard neuroma surgery; aids prosthetic control (Dumanian)
RPNI surgeryNerve end placed in a small muscle graft (Kubiak)Fewer painful neuromas and less phantom pain in a records study (Kubiak)
Mirror therapyReflection of the intact limb “moves” the missing one (Subedi)Short-term pain relief; lasting effect unproven (meta-analysis)
Graded motor imageryLeft/right recognition, imagined movement, then mirror work (Limakatso)May reduce pain; very low-certainty evidence (Limakatso)
TENSMild electrical impulses to block pain signals (NHS)Few side effects, but no randomized trials (Cochrane)
Talking therapiesCBT and trauma-focused therapy for coping and stress (Erlenwein)Expert-endorsed from practice; research evidence still thin (Delphi study)
Using a prosthesisRestores movement and some feedback to the body map (Erlenwein)Linked with less phantom pain in several studies (Erlenwein)
Sensory-feedback prosthesesSensors send touch or position signals to the nerves (Petrini)Reduced pain in small studies; still research (Shokur)
AcupunctureFine needles at chosen points (Trevelyan)Promising in a 15-person pilot; not proven (Trevelyan)

Every row is explained, with fuller sources, in the approach sections above and below.

Another approach

Stress, mood and trauma

Losing a limb is life-changing, and depression, anxiety, grief and trauma are the most common emotional concerns afterwards (Amputee Coalition). People who lose a limb through injury — especially service members — have a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NHS). If upsetting symptoms after a traumatic event last more than a month, an assessment for PTSD may be appropriate (Amputee Coalition).

Another approach

Magnets, liners and other products

Some people with phantom pain try magnets or special socket liners, and the testimonials below describe magnets. Here is what the research shows:

In their own words

Wellness and lifestyle testimonials

Please read first. These are personal experiences, not medical advice. MBHA makes no medical claims and does not claim any product heals or cures. Check with your prosthetist before putting anything between your residual limb and the socket, because fit and skin health matter. A wound that won’t heal, skin breakdown, color change, or new severe pain needs prompt medical care. Don’t change pain medicines without your doctor.

My brother had his leg amputated a few inches below the knee. He uses magnetic insoles in two places: he cuts out a circle and places it at the end of his residual limb as a soft cushion, and puts the rest of that insole in the shoe on his prosthetic foot.

— Deanne

At a fair booth, a man who had lost his leg in a work accident came through on one crutch because walking anywhere was so uncomfortable. Phantom sensations bothered him all the time. We couldn’t promise him anything except hope, but he bought a small magnet and placed it between his residual limb and his prosthesis right there. He called me the next week, very pleased. He’d had no more discomfort and had walked around a flea market the day before without his crutch.

— Deb

My foot was run over by a garbage truck when I was in sixth grade, and my leg was amputated below the knee. I had horrible phantom sensations. It felt like someone was grabbing my toes with pliers and pulling them. The medicine I took for the pain also affected my short-term memory, and I couldn’t sit for more than half an hour. Since I started using magnetic insoles, a necklace and a sleep system, I haven’t had one phantom ‘discomfort’, and I now sleep through the night, something I hadn’t done in years.

— Michael

We worked with someone who had phantom pain after an amputation. We used a far-infrared knee wrap as a cushion over his residual limb inside the prosthesis, with a small magnet on each side. A stiffer magnetic wrap was too hard and made things worse while he wore the prosthesis. He had almost immediate relief.

— Name withheld

Shared with first names only. Lightly edited for length and spelling.

Member stories

Living with Phantom Limb Pain? Share your experience

Real experiences help others choose. Tell us what you tried — conventional medicine, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, massage or coaching — what it cost and what changed.

Which approaches have you tried?

What did you try, what did it cost, and what changed for you? Please leave out anything you’d rather keep private.

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Sources

This page is for education only and is not medical advice. Costs are typical U.S. ranges and estimates; yours will depend on your provider, location and insurance. Talk with your doctor before starting, stopping or combining any treatment. In an emergency, call 911. See our disclaimer.

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