Which therapy is commonly used to treat phantom limb pain?

• A. Analgesics alone
• B. Acupuncture
• C. Mirror box therapy
• D. Mirror box therapy, analgesics, acupuncture, and e-stim

Answer: (D)

Phantom limb pain tends to respond best to a combination of approaches that address both brain processing and pain signaling. Mirror box therapy uses visual feedback to help recalibrate the brain’s map of the body, reducing misperceptions that fuel pain. Analgesics help dampen pain signals, offering symptomatic relief. Acupuncture can modulate pain through neuromodulatory pathways and endogenous analgesia. Electrical stimulation (e-stim) can further decrease pain by inhibiting nociceptive input and boosting the body's own pain-control systems. Because phantom limb pain varies between individuals, using a blend of these modalities is commonly practiced in rehabilitation. Therefore, the comprehensive approach—mirror box therapy along with analgesics, acupuncture, and e-stim—captures the typical treatment strategy.