Pain management in the traumatic amputee.

Traumatic amputees may experience a variety of acute and chronic pain issues, including phantom limb pain and residual limb pain. Research continues to determine the causes of these problems and to find the most appropriate and effective treatments for each of these phenomena. It is important for health care providers to be knowledgeable about the variety of treatments available, including medications, surgical procedures, complementary and alternative therapies, and self-treatment methods to ensure that amputees receive the best practices for individualized, effective pain management that they deserve.