Why does one get phantom pains after having a limb removed? Is it the brain or the rest of the limb causing it

Answer 1

the nerves act as if the limb is still there and the brain still thinks that the limb is still there

Answer 2

Irritation of the remains of the nerves at the limb stump sends the signals back to the brain.

These signals are sufficiently similar to those that would have been generated by stimulatin of the intact limb for the brain to interpret them as coming from the missing limb, despite your conscious realisation that the limb is no longer there.

Answer 3

BOTH : Even when a limb is amputated, damage to nerve endings is one thing that creates this sensation. subsequent regrowth can lead to abnormal and painful discharge of neurons in the stump, and may change the way that nerves from the amputated limb connect to neurons within the spinal cord. There is also evidence for altered nervous activity within the brain as a result of the loss of sensory input from the amputated limb. Unfortunately, phantom limb pain is chronic; once it develops it persists and is rarely improved by present medical treatments. Destructive surgical procedures are also of limited use. They can be effective for a few months, but pain always returns, frequently worse, and so surgery is only performed in patients with terminal illness

Answer 4

The brain is sending signals to the limb it think is there, and it gets stuck at the nerve bundles in the 'stump'.

The removed limb could not affect the signals sent through your body (it is just in a biohazard waste dump somewhere).

Answer 5

It's actually the nerves still working. They are the same nerves which would be stimulated if the entire limb remained intact.

Answer 6

its the limb coming back to haunt you

Answer 7

it's the brain. Messages throughout the central nervous system cause all pain...weird huh?

Answer 8

it has to be the brain it thinks its still there