TITLE:
Phantom Fighters: Coping Mechanisms of Amputee Patients with Phantom Limb Pain: A Longitudinal Study
AUTHORS:
Daniella Margalit, Eyal Heled, Corinne Berger, Hod Katzir
KEYWORDS:
Phantom Limb Pain; Mental Coping Mechanisms; Denial; Optimism
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Orthopedics,
Vol.3 No.7,
November
22,
2013
ABSTRACT: Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a phenomenon commonly observed in orthopedic
rehabilitation units that can have detrimental effects on patients’
functioning. Psychological aspects of PLP have been widely investigated showing
that some coping mechanisms are advantageous at certain points but not at
others. However, the mechanisms related to positive adjustment to PLP during
the course of rehabilitation have not been adequately examined. The aim of the
study was to investigate the relationship between PLP and coping mechanism at
two points during the rehabilitation process. Thirty one orthopedic inpatients,
who had undergone lower-limb amputation following diabetic complications, rated
their pain levels and mental coping strategies. The Ways of Coping Checklist,
Life Orientation Test, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire, 1-15 days post-surgery
and six months post-surgery were used for evaluation. Denial was found to be
negatively correlated with PLP shortly after amputation. In contrast, optimism
was found to be negatively correlated with PLP six months after the surgery.
Emotion-focused coping mechanisms were found to be positively correlated with
PLP. It is concluded that denial during the early stages of recuperation and
optimism at later stages of rehabilitation is associated with reduced PLP.
Awareness of these mental processes by both medical staff and family members
may enable acceptance of these processes and thus facilitate patients’
rehabilitation.