Key points
- NeuRA is now recruiting for TITAN, the world’s largest clinical trial to date into potential treatments phantom limb pain.
- Phantom limb pain is a condition that baffles scientists and affects up to 80% of people who have undergone limb amputation.
- The trial will investigate the effectiveness of two drug-free treatments that aim to provide meaningful pain relief.
Exploring two new treatments
Researchers at NeuRA’s Centre for Pain Impact are carrying out world’s largest clinical trial for two potential treatments for phantom limb pain.
Phantom limb pain is a distressing and disabling condition that has baffled scientists and clinicians and affects up to 80% of people who have had a limb amputated or had a spinal cord injury.
NeuRA Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Centre for Pain Impact, Professor James McAuley, said the TITAN clinical trial would investigate the effectiveness of two promising treatments.
“There are currently no proven treatments that provide meaningful pain relief for people with phantom limb pain,” Prof McAuley said.
“This is a randomised clinical trial funded by the Commonwealth Government with the aim of reducing pain and improving function. Both treatments we are investigating are drug-free and aim to change how the brain processes pain signals coming from body. The first is a progressive rehabilitation program using techniques such as mirror therapy, while the second uses low frequency non-invasive neuromodulation.”
What is phantom limb pain?
Phantom limb pain is used to describe sensations in a body part that is no longer present. This may include feeling that the ‘phantom’ limb is in a specific position or shape, is moving, is warm or cold, is itching, tingling or an electric sensation.
“Phantom limb pain most commonly occurs in people after a major limb amputation and often leads to social isolation and loss of independence,” Prof McAuley said.
“At its worst, the condition can cause unbearable symptoms, including intense burning, shooting, stabbing, crushing, and electric shock type sensations that can disrupt sleep and lead to depression and a loss of quality of life. In many cases, the symptoms last a lifetime with little, as most analgesic medicines have only small effects and are accompanied by significant side effects. We want to find treatments than can provide meaningful pain relief.”
Join the world’s largest clinical trial
Researchers from NeuRA’s Centre for Pain Impact will run the randomised clinical trial. This is a large-scale, Australia-wide initiative that will be conducted online by physiotherapists, ensuring it is widely accessible.
“We’re now encouraging people who suffer from phantom-limb pain to join our trial,” Prof McAuley said.
