I met someone the other day who had his leg amputated after an accident. He said that he sometimes has feelings in his missing leg. How is this possible? Is it his imagination?

Up to 80 percent of people who have an amputation feel either phantom pain or stump pain (or both). Stump pain is easily understood for the most part as it is caused by the nerves where the limb was amputated.

Stump pain can include pain from rubbing against a prosthesis, swelling, wounds, infection, or many other problems. Phantom pain, on the other hand, is not well understood and does not seem to have a particular issue that can be pinpointed.

Phantom pain is felt as aching, cutting, throbbing, or even itching for some people. This pain is not in the person's head - it is true pain that can be severe enough to affect their lives.

For some people, medications that ease nerve pain may be able to help relieve phantom pain. There are other therapies that are being researched as well.