Clinic Study On Treatment Of Phantom Limb Pain By Far-Infrared Radiation From Nanophase Ceramics

BackgroundPhantom limb pain (PLP) is an experience of patients after limb amputated ,who has the feeling that the lost limb still exist and is pained. It often occurs in patient over six years old. PLP is a common complication after amputation . And there is no satisfactory treatment now. Nanophase ceramics has a radiative of far-infrared under room temperature. This study is to apply the nanophase ceramics for the treatment of PLP. ObjectiveThis study is to observe the clinic therapeutic effect of far-infrared ray from nanophase ceramics on phantom limb pain and preliminarily to explore the therapeutic mechanism of far-infrared from nanophase ceramics to PLP. MethodsFifty-eight cases with PLP after amputation were randomly divided into treatment group (30 cases) and control group (28 cases). The treatment group was treated with far-infrared radiation from nanophase ceramics plus dressing elastic bandage. The patients of control group accepted the treatment by mid-frequency current therapy , manipulation and dressing elastic bandage. The varieties of five indexes were compared before and after treatment: (1)Short-form of Me Gill pain questionnair (SF-MPQ );(2)the skin microcirculation of the stump;(3)the eladticity of the stump;(4) level of plasma PGE2 ;(5)the compensatory function of artificial limb (patients with crus amputated).Result(1) 16 cases (53.3%) in the treatment group were cured ,the overall effective rate was 86.7%. 9 cases (37.1%) in the control group were cured ,the overall effective rate was 64.3%.The difference between two group was significant(P<0.01).(2)The improvement of microcirculation of treatment group was better than that of control group(13.73 ± 0.87 Vs 10.18 ± 1.12, P<0.01).(3)The stump skin elasticity of two groups was significantly different from the baselines after treatment. But treatment group was significantly different from the control group(P<0.01).(4)Level of PGE2 in two groups reduced after treatment. But the level of plasma PGE2 in the treatment group reduced more significantly than that in the control group (PO.01) .(5)Step velocity and step length in the treatment group after treatment was 88.69 ±5.51 and 67.97 ±3.82 respectively, which was obviously higher than that in the control group, 68.07 ± 7.28 and 58.08 ± 2.47, respectively (P<0.05). The ambulation ability in two groups was insignificant after treatment. Conclusion(l)The far-infrared radiation from nanophase ceramics has effective therapeatic action to PLP. It is a convenient effective methods.(2)Far-infrared from nanophase ceramics can ameliorate microcirculation, intenerate scar and improve the artificial limb compensatory function.(3)The therapeutic mechanism of far-infrared from nanophase ceramics to PLP is likely to inhibit the synthesis and release of PG, renovate of injured peripheral nerve and evoke the ascension of the levels of B -endorphin, enkephalin in brain.