Pain site and impairment in individuals with amputation pain.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between pain site and pain interference with activities of daily living (ADLs) among persons with acquired amputation.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Community-based survey from clinical databases, flyer postings, and an advertisement in the inMotion magazine.


METHODS
Persons with lower-limb amputations (N=478).


METHODS
Six or more months after lower-limb amputation, participants completed an amputation pain questionnaire that included several standardized pain measures.


METHODS
Numeric rating scale measures of average phantom limb, residual limb, and back pain and pain-related impairment as measured by a modified version of the Pain Interference Scale of the Brief Pain Inventory.


RESULTS
Phantom limb, residual limb, and back pain intensity ratings, as a group, accounted for 20% of the variance in pain interference. The pain intensity ratings associated with each individual pain site made a statistically significant contribution to the prediction of pain interference with ADLs even after controlling for the pain intensity of the other 2 sites.


CONCLUSIONS
Pain in each of 3 sites (phantom limb, residual limb, back) appears to be important to pain-related impairment and function. Measurement of the intensity of pain at each site appears to be required for a thorough assessment of amputation pain-related impairment.
Marshall
Helen M
HM
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle 98195-6490, USA.
Jensen
Mark P
MP
Ehde
Dawn M
DM
Campbell
Kellye M
KM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000674:Amputees; D001416:Back Pain; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010591:Phantom Limb