Phantom Limbs Research Paper

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An amputation is classified as a surgical operation involving the removal of at least one limb of a person’s body (Amputation, 2017, p. 1). Although the first ever recorded amputation happened thousands of years ago; practice, detrimental adjustments and the advancement of medicine has successfully made amputations more safe, common and effective in hospitals around the world. From wooden legs to bionic arms, prosthetic limbs have been improving rapidly for centuries. Biomedically engineered prosthetic limbs have come especially far, connecting wires to nerves and muscles that allow an artificial limb to move in ways only an ordinary limb has ever been able to move, making them the best option for most amputees. Whether it be from a medical …show more content…

50%-80% of amputees suffer from phantom pain, which is the feeling that an amputated limb is still attached to your body and is in agonizing pain. (Phantom Limb Pain, 2017) Not everyone who has an amputated limb suffers from mental complications, but there is always a possibility that something arises. A study approved by the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) said that three of their five patients “reported superior vitality and mental health. However, the third patient of this group described a reduced social functioning and the fifth patient substandard general health.” The two patients who had problems suffered from problems such as the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance/hope) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Amputee Phantom Limb Pain Relief and Pain Management Testimonials, 2017). On the website Farabloc, amputee victims can talk with others about their difficult experiences in overcoming adversities like phantom knee pain and receive authentic information and advice about what it is like living with the condition. One person explained what phantom pain is like, describing it as “...generally occurring in the end and back of my stump, and consists of pins and needles, burning, itching type of pain…” (Amputee Phantom Limb Pain Relief and Pain Management Testimonials, …show more content…

As of 2016, RSL Steeper, creator of the newest artificial Bionic hand said one of his models “will be offered at a price of $11,000” (How Much is the Newest Advanced Artificial Hand?, 2017). Granted most people will not pay nearly that much with financial aid packages and insurance, that’s still a lot of money to spend on just one thing. In fact, the cost of that specific prosthetic hand is the same price to lease a Tesla Model S60 - Rear Wheel Drive for 13 months! (Tesla Leasing, 2017) Health Insurance that is offered to people buying prosthetic limbs helps chip away at some of the cost and veterans of war receive a discount due to financial aid packages, thanking them for serving their

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