Re: New healing technique/phantom pain

Tony Barr

Description

Title:

Re: New healing technique/phantom pain

Creator:

Tony Barr

Date:

1/29/2002

Text:

Al, this happens to be a favorite subject of mine so I will cc your request for input to the OANDP-Listserve which represents the profession of prosthetists.Perhaps they can shed some light on their experiences.

The below represents my humble opinion.
The likelihood of experiencing phantom pains is increased significantly when improper initial surgery is preformed.
This is more often the case than not.

What is often described as phantom or not real can be psychological or can be very real due to nerve endings or nueromas that in time, continue to grow at the stump or at the place of incision. The sensation is feelings of a limb or phalanges that aren't there or a stinging sensation whether a artificial leg is on or not. Does this sound familiar to my fellow amputees?

Preventing nerve adhesions can be resolved by restoring gliding properties to the nerve upon amputation.
Improved prosthetic fitting can be better ensured by removal and prevention of unstable scars and creating a smooth contoured interface for prosthetic fitting.
These are only two of the benefits of having the Ertl procedure preformed. Want more?

It has been my experience that most surgeons, both domestic and abroad, in my opinion, equate the need of amputation as personal failure. Failure for medical technology to be able to reattach the limb in the case of limb loss to trauma or failure for today's medical technology to stop the disease that created the need to amputate.

Amputation surgeries are often handed off to interns whom have no training as to proper amputation surgery.But nor do allot of surgeons performing amputations.Do you think they would take the time to learn?

Many of our Barr Foundation applicants whom are seeking financial assistance in obtaining new prosthetic rehabilitation, believe it is the prosthesis that causes the pain. Unfortunately, there is a few unscrupulous practitioners whom may agree with them if their prosthetic coverage is current and ample!

The best way to lessen the likelihood of amputee experiencing phantom pain is to have the correct surgically procedure preformed in the first place and be fitted by a qualified professional whom is well aware of the need to provide total contact prosthetic rehabilitation.

If we can't urge ACA to hold advocacy workshops to better ensure and support proper coverages by qualified practitioners, how are we going to get the AMA to mandate the teaching of preforming proper amputee surgery to a growing number of people whom will become subject to limb loss?

Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr

    and I have developed a solution to phantom limb pain


  If what you say is true you are going to be a very rich man.

  >> What I do is based on my belief.... >>

  Who else has this belief?

  Al Pike, CP
  Amputee Resource Foundation of America, Inc.
  www.amputeeresource.org

                          

Citation

Tony Barr, “Re: New healing technique/phantom pain,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 21, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/218355.