Mental Health Center Rivierduinen, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Pain Res Manag. 2010 Mar-Apr;15(2):65-71. doi: 10.1155/2010/981634.
Chronic phantom limb pain (PLP) is a disabling chronic pain syndrome for which regular pain treatment is seldom effective. Pain memories resulting from long-lasting preamputation pain or pain flashbacks, which are part of a traumatic memory, are reported to be powerful elicitors of PLP.
To investigate whether a psychological treatment directed at processing the emotional and somatosensory memories associated with amputation reduces PLP.
Ten consecutive participants (six men and four women) with chronic PLP after leg amputation were treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Pain intensity was assessed during a two-week period before and after treatment (mean number of sessions = 5.9), and at short- (three months) and long-term (mean 2.8 years) follow-up.
Multivariate ANOVA for repeated measures revealed an overall time effect (F[2, 8]=6.7; P<0.02) for pain intensity. Pairwise comparison showed a significant decrease in mean pain score before and after treatment (P=0.00), which was maintained three months later. All but two participants improved and four were considered to be completely pain free at three months follow-up. Of the six participants available at long-term follow-up (mean 2.8 years), three were pain free and two had reduced pain intensity.
These preliminary results suggest that, following a psychological intervention focused on trauma or pain-related memories, substantial long-term reduction of chronic PLP can be achieved. However, larger outcome studies are required.
慢性幻肢痛（PLP）是一种使人致残的慢性疼痛综合征，常规疼痛治疗很少有效。据报道，源自长时间截肢前疼痛或疼痛闪回的疼痛记忆（创伤性记忆的一部分）是引发 PLP 的有力诱发因素。
研究针对与截肢相关的情绪和躯体感觉记忆进行处理的心理治疗是否可以减轻 PLP。
10 名连续的下肢截肢后患有慢性 PLP 的参与者（6 名男性和 4 名女性）接受了眼动脱敏再处理（EMDR）治疗。在治疗前后两周（平均治疗次数=5.9 次）以及短期（3 个月）和长期（平均 2.8 年）随访期间评估疼痛强度。
重复测量的多元方差分析显示疼痛强度存在整体时间效应（F[2,8]=6.7；P<0.02）。两两比较显示治疗前后平均疼痛评分显著下降（P=0.00），且在 3 个月后仍保持。所有参与者（除了两名）都有所改善，其中四名在 3 个月随访时被认为完全没有疼痛。在 6 名可进行长期随访（平均 2.8 年）的参与者中，有 3 名无疼痛，2 名疼痛强度减轻。
这些初步结果表明，针对创伤或与疼痛相关的记忆进行心理干预后，慢性 PLP 可以得到长期的显著减轻。然而，还需要更大规模的结局研究。
