Phantom Limbs and Perceived Pain | Jens Foell | TEDxFSU

Dr. Jens Foell is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Clinical Psychology department at FSU. He has conducted groundbreaking research involving MRI brain imaging which explores the cause of and treatment for phantom limb pain, a condition where amputees still feel the presence of their limbs post-surgery. Dr. Jens Foell is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Clinical Psychology department at FSU. He has conducted groundbreaking research involving MRI brain imaging which explores the cause of and treatment for phantom limb pain, a condition where amputees still feel the presence of their limbs post-surgery. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@papafranku-jb7on]

Every night, I can feel my leg... And my arm... even my fingers... The body I've lost... the comrades I've lost... won't stop hurting... It's like they're all still there.

[@rickt1866]

commie?

[@shitmonkey]

@@rickt1866 more like a poser than a commie

[@chappi-dz2ow]

Without the aid of narcotic painkillers, my legs (both missing above the knee) go from feeling im being electrocuted to feeling like my big toe nails are being ripped off in slow motion. This goes on every second of every day for almost 10 years now. Nothing helps except painkillers. Its almost enough to make me cry when I wake up on any given morning and my legs just feel like legs. No electrocution, burning, pins and needles, toe nail wrenching, just nothing..... Never lasts more than an hour or two, but its awesome.

[@ericac.4316]

I can totally understand and relate to what he is saying. Not an easy topic for me to talk about but I’m grateful for his information. I’ve e gone through it.

[@shitmonkey]

the reason we feel pain is the nerves are like little wires that have become disconnected and they are trying to reconnect with whatever sensor they were assigned to. I have had times where my missing foot has itched. all it was was a nerve that was assigned to that alarm was misfiring .. your nerves are just like little wires carrying signals from your brain to the part they are assigned to. I lost my leg below the knee in 2015. in my case the wires were violently disconnected .. it is like a live wire sparking on the ground.. phantom pain is one thing but the overriding condition that amputees suffer is from the nerves that were disconnected in the removal.. The more violently the limb was lost ( mine was ripped from my body in an accident) the more that the nerve endings in the stump are frayed and react to misfiring.. the insolation around the nerve is liken to that on an electrical wire. in the areas that the insolation has been damaged they are more prone to misfits.. you can track this in the brain all you want but the problem is the damaged nerves on the stump..

[@RoadMasterization]

I HAD MY ENTIRE LEFT LEG RUN OVER BY AN OVERSIZE LOAD . WAS AMPUTATED ABOVE KNEE. I HAVE 4 INCHEC LEFT. WHAT DO YOU DO PERSONAL TO FIGHT THE PHANTOM PAIN JIM. IM SO LOST IN PAIN...

[@jacobter-stepanyan2925]

@@RoadMasterization You should definitely contact a professional, because phantom limb pain is something we have learned how to treat. There are methods like using a mirror to trick your brain into thinking your limb is still there by seeing the reflection of the intact limb, or even methods that use Virtual Reality head sets to give you the image of the sensation you are having. Of course, this is usually combined with medical treatment and physical therapy and this is why you should talk to a professional about the pains you are experiencing. Hope you feel better soon. Good luck.

[@shitmonkey]

@@RoadMasterization I am right there with ya david. and what is worse is 5 years later my body has "adjusted" to the drugs and they age getting less and less effective. I don't want to become a cripple and a junkie too..

[@shitmonkey]

@@jacobter-stepanyan2925 frayed nerve pain can not be effectively deceived with smoke and mirrors.. if you have a high voltage wire flopping around on the ground you can contain it but you can't render it safe till you cut the power. phantom pain is just like that. only no one knows how to safely turn off the high voltage.. jacob, are you an amputee? I am going to guess not because what you perceive as psychosomatic is absolutely 100% real to us !!!

[@jacobter-stepanyan2925]

@@shitmonkey You're right, I'm not an amputee. Just a psych student, doing research for a paper about various types of pain. I'm sorry if there were any misunderstandings in the things I said, it was just the information I had gathered. And yes, I cannot imagine the sensations you are having, sorry if what I said sounded obnoxious, it wasn't its purpose. Hope you get better, thank you for your answer.

[@trizxful7159]

This is one of those topics that I find very interesting. Like how does the brain make you feel and perceive something as if its there, when its really not? I used to dread watching these Ted Talks but this one is actually super informative. Its really cool to learn about how the brain works certain body parts and such. If there's anyone with some experience with phantom limbs, I would love to hear your story about it.

[@stanleybertram8178]

the nerve that transmits signals to my leg is still their still sending and receiving signals. that is real pain.

[@shitmonkey]

yes it is and to make it worse all these non-amputees telling us it in all in our heads

[@ShawnaGraham50]

Very informative always wondered how the brain can do this.

[@shitmonkey]

misdirected electrical signals that are real and not imagined

[@tinotendamurongerwi5166]

Helpful

[@larrydockery7201]

ok how do u get rid of it now \

[@akiwiwithaface8911]

You feel it too don’t you

[@exoticbutters2781]

A man of culture I see.

[@earlygraduate702]

Metal Gear?

[@9999plato]

It's not perceived pain. It's real pain. I feel my missing foot throbbing right this second. The brain must have those pain signals permanently ingrained.

[@ugluis8]

I’m in the same boat

[@trollbugzzz2215]

They should do studies on people with technical limbs like bionic and psychological drugs to test sensitivity I feel like people vary from input commands

[@egoranonymous3223]

How strange! Last night, for no reason that I can figure out, my phantom leg had a Charlie horse that hurt so bad that what is left of my leg seized up. This hasn't happened in 5 years. Today this showed up in my feed randomly. I don't watch videos about being an amputee, this is where I come to escape being an amputee

[@whiskeytangofoxtrot5244]

What if we could use the human brain as software to power a robotic limb ? I am a bilateral leg amputee that suffers phantom limb pain , it's extremely unbearable and feels like electric shocks so powerful it takes my breath away. Someone please help !😞

[@chandrasegar9466]

Try.jus try..close your eyes.take deep light calm breadths 4...5 times..not forceful...relax...focus your mind on a far light energy...eyes closed lightly...enjoy that energy..let that light energy engulf your body..do this all the time as many time a day as possible..allowing this light energy to engulf your body..ignore the pain..if you concentrate your mind on the light energy you body will enjoy this energy n light..whereby your pain becomes minor and ignored..over time it becomes joy energy...takes time.may be a week may be few days ..don't give up...its the light energy therapy that will divert n heal your mind n body..do tell me your progress..stay bliss....

[@larrydockery7201]

dam right it will drive you crazy if u let it trust me i know

[@mohammadfaiz5221]

It is called law of projection no matter where the stimulus is being given our brain 🧠 stimulate the effect on the receptors

[@rickt1866]

social media has the opposite effect lol

[@DamiensJunk]

thats wassup

[@artisticcreations6801]

I am above knee amputee. My leg hurts every night. The pain is horrible, and fascinating.

[@meenakshidixit7507]

Aah same here. I got amputated one week before. N I am dying in pain

[@zamzamahmed6405]

Same to my bro got amputeted from above knee two weeks ago he is going through tough times how are u now

[@artisticcreations6801]

@@zamzamahmed6405 It gets better. Mirror therapy works for a lot of people. However two weeks is to early. I bounced back after 6 Months. It’s difficult however possible. Take your time. Your body will change as you grow. Soon it’s just who you are.

[@davidestrada4708]

Epistemology

[@Dustinpool87]

The kid from Ohio that was amputated from his belly down and his arm had it bad

[@ritarichter2110]

Ich würde mir wünschen wenn es deutsche Untertitel geben würde. Weil ich der englischen Sprache nicht mächtig bin jedenfalls nicht so gut 🙈

[@smashandburnyt6938]

lol mgsv phantom pain

[@PillowyMound]

I feel the phantom limb pain of his missing hair.

[@MrRufusRToyota]

PillowyMounds you ain’t right!

[@shitmonkey]

interesting that you find humor in the suffering of others. that speaks volumes on who you are........

[@timmy8211]

Hahahahah this guy is a voluntary nut case. Gender identity and all. Shaking my head.