Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Apr 10.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 Aug;91(8):701–714. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e3182466034

TABLE 4.

Biofeedback for phantom limb pain amonq persons with amputation

Case Condition Treatment Results P
Belleggia and Birbaumer (2001)77 case report (n = 1) PLP (arm 3 yrs previously); 69-yr-old man Six weekly EMG and thermal biofeedback/relaxation sessions (1 hr), then six weekly thermal biofeedback sessions Elimination of pain (VAS) at end of treatment, maintained at 3- and 12-mo follow-ups, with decreased differences in EMG and temperature between the stump and the contralateral arm n/a
Harden et al. (2005)78 uncontrolled trial (n = 9) PLP (arm, leg); five men, four women with mean age of 57.6 yrs Six weeks of thermal autogenic biofeedback sessions; follow-up at 12 mos Only sensory MPQ-SP significantly different before and after treatment; daily pain intensity (VAS) reduced by mean of 39% 0.05

EMG, electromyography; MPQ-SP, McGill Pain Questionnaire Pain Intensity Scale; PLP, phantom limb pain; n/a, not applicable; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.