Disabling Back Pain after Lower Limb Amputation

Are you experiencing disabling back pain since having a lower-limb amputation? You’re not alone.

Although back pain in the general population is estimated at 15-25 percent, a recent study indicates that the occurrence of persistent, bothersome back pain in people who have had a lower limb amputated runs as high as 52 percent.  Additionally, In previous studies undertaken for other types of post-amputation pain, back pain was reported by 76 percent of respondents.

Whereas phantom-limb pain (perception of pain in a limb that has been removed) or residual pain (stump pain), few studies have fully evaluated the back pain that many persons suffer after lower limb amputation. A recent study was designed to do just that: it asked lower limb amputees how often they had back pain, how severe the occurrences were, how long they lasted, and how much back pain interfered with activities of daily living or work.

Although most survey participants described their pain as intermittent, the majority had back pain 2-3 times per week or more.  Nearly one-quarter of those with back pain indicated that the pain interfered with functioning in all areas of their daily lives.  The intensity of the pain was reported as mild (43 percent of respondents), moderate (25 percent), or severe (31 percent).  This study indicates that chronic back pain may, in fact, be a secondary disability for persons with lower limb amputation.

The authors of this study were not able to explain why previous studies reported back pain in a significantly higher percentage, suggesting a possible area of further research.

For further information: "Back Pain as a Secondary Disability in Persons With Lower Limb Amputations," Ehde, D PhD; Smith, D MD; Czerniecki, J MD; Campbell, K RN, BSN; Malchow, RN, MN; Robinson, L MD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 82, no. 6, p. 731-734.