1000 Section - Acupuncture Techniques in the Management of Phantom Limb Pain: A Narrative Review of the Literature

The search was conducted in PubMed between January 2015 and October 2025. The specific search strategy used was (phantom limb pain) AND (acupuncture).

During the article selection process, duplicate records were removed, and studies not relevant to the topic were excluded after screening titles and abstracts, with a focus on articles specifically addressing acupuncture-based treatment for phantom limb pain.. The variables analyzed in this review included time since amputation, acupuncture technique used, cause of amputation, previous treatments, therapeutic effect, reduction in phantom limb pain intensity, and follow-up duration.

Results: Fourteen studies were initially identified in PubMed, but only five articles, representing five clinical cases, remained eligible. Three amputations were trauma-related and two were oncologic. Most patients had phantom limb pain for less than one year, except one individual with a 10-year history. All had previously undergone pharmacologic treatment without satisfactory relief. Five distinct acupuncture techniques were employed. Effectiveness was primarily assessed by percentage reduction in pain intensity, which varied from 50% to 100% across cases. Three reports included follow-up data, with one extending to three years post-treatment. In all cases with follow-ups longer than nine months, patients demonstrated sustained and meaningful improvement.

Conclusion:

The acupuncture modalities analyzed demonstrated relevant therapeutic potential, evidenced by reductions in pain intensity, functional improvement, and decreased pharmacological dependence in various reports.

Despite these encouraging results, the lack of controlled clinical trials and comparative studies with larger samples limits the consolidation of acupuncture as an evidence-based intervention for phantom pain management. Prospective, randomized, multicenter studies are recommended to explore not only the clinical efficacy of the different techniques but also their neurophysiological mechanisms of action.