Question

An adolescent who has had a leg amputated because of bone cancer begins to experience phantom limb sensations. How should the nurse respond when the client complains of pain and requests medication?

1. By withholding the medication to help prevent addiction
2. By stating that the limb has been removed and that the pain is psychological
3. by acknowledging that the pain is real and administering medication to relieve it
4. By explaining that the phantom limb sensation will subside within a few more days

Answer 1

The nurse should acknowledge the reality of the patient's phantom limb pain and provide medication, as well as consider mirror box therapy, which uses neural plasticity to potentially ease the pain.

Step-by-step explanation:

Phantom limb sensations can be very real and distressing for individuals who have undergone amputations. Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran developed a novel treatment for this condition—the mirror box—which is based on the principle of neural plasticity. Ramachandran's mirror box therapy involves a box with a mirror inside that reflects the patient's existing limb, thus creating an illusion for the brain that the missing limb is still there, potentially relieving the phantom pain.

Pain perception has both physical and psychological components, and it is important to acknowledge the realness of the patient's pain. Therefore, the correct response for a nurse when an adolescent patient complains of phantom limb pain would be to acknowledge the pain as real and to provide appropriate medication to help manage it, along with considering other treatment methods like mirror box therapy.