Phantom pains and sensations - how does it feel? Only the patient really knows

摘要

In the qualitative study by Berit Bjorkman et al. published in this issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Pain, some interesting aspects on post amputation pain problems and other phantom sensations are presented[1]. The information comes from the narrative information obtained by in-depth interviews from patients that have undergone amputations of an extremity or a breast, and are suffering from phantom sensations and phantom pain. The manuscript may seem odd for readers used to scientific articles mainly presenting medical research based on quantitative data, but it absolutely deserves publication, because it highlights the patients' own experience of a very complex pain phenomenon, notoriously difficult to treat.