Effects of Tactile Desensitization on Postoperative Pain After Amputation Surgery

Purpose Pain in the acute setting after amputation is complex with multiple types of pain experienced, including somatic and neuropathic. No studies have measured multiple pain control modalities while using self-management techniques for acute amputation pain. Desensitization could provide a means of pain control for somatic and neuropathic pain. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacious use and effects of tactile desensitization in managing acute postoperative pain after lower limb amputation. Design This was a pre-experimental repeated measure study. Methods Pain description, intensity, anxiety, depression, and medication usage were measured during repeated time periods. Pain intensity was measured before and after each intervention along with efficacy. Findings Of the times the intervention was self-administered (n = 50) there was a statistically significant reduction in the pain level ( P Conclusions The findings support a reduction in pain intensity scores using pain medication coupled with tactile desensitization.