Abstract:
This descriptive study aims at investigating the relationships among body image,
pain coping, anxiety and phantom limb pain in amputees. The sample was 85 lower
extremity amputees who had a follow up in Prosthetic and Orthotic divisions to
prepare for artificial limb and rehabilitation at King Mongkut Hospital, Sirindhorn
National Medical Rehabilitation Center, and the Industrial Rehabilitation Center,
Thailand. Data were collected from June to October 2006. The instruments consist of
demographic questionnaire, coping self-statement scale, body image questionnaire of
lower extremity amputee, state-trait anxiety inventory form Y-I, and pain
questionnaire for amputees. The data were analyzed and calculated for descriptive
statistics and Pearsons Product Moment correlation coefficient.
There were 63.50% of males and 36.50% females participating in this study.
41.18% of subjects were 61 to 92 years old with a mean age of 53.27 (S.D. = 17.92).
Diabetes mellitus was the common cause of amputation (45.88%). Most of them
(68.24%) were below-knee amputations. 49.41% of participants had moderate
phantom limb pain. Body image had a significantly negative relationship to phantom
limb pain, at the moderate level (r = - .43, p<0.01). Similarly, pain coping had a
significantly negative relationship to phantom limb pain at a moderate level (r = - .46,
p<0.01). Anxiety had a significantly positive relationship to phantom limb pain at a
moderate level (r = .48, p<0.01).
From the study results, it is recommended that health care providers should
primarily assess phantom limb pain and how amputees perceive their limb loss and
body image in order to develop a clinical practice guideline by providing education,
and applying the complementary and alternative therapy to reduce phantom limb pain.