Pain site and impairment in individuals with amputation pain.

Abstract

To determine the association between pain site and pain interference with activities of daily living (ADLs) among persons with acquired amputation. Survey. Community-based survey from clinical databases, flyer postings, and an advertisement in the inMotion magazine. Persons with lower-limb amputations (N=478). Six or more months after lower-limb amputation, participants completed an amputation pain questionnaire that included several standardized pain measures. 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. 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. 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.