Here's an interesting article we received from vet oncologist Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, about phantom limb pain in humans, which hopefully will translate into new discoveries for how to heal it in both dogs and people.

Soldiers With Certain Gene Variations More Likely to Develop Chronic Pain After Amputation

"Researchers have identified hundreds of variants in a patient's DNA sequence or genetic code that predict which military service members are more likely to develop persistent, chronic pain after amputation, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY™ 2013 annual meeting.

From 2000 to 2011, there were 6,144 amputations among 5,694 injured service members, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. More than one-third had major amputations, defined as the loss of a hand, foot or more.

"Traumatic amputations of limbs profoundly change the lives of affected military service members," said Andrew D. Shaw, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. "Persistent pain after amputation is a serious problem with no effective treatments. By identifying these 'pain genes,' we may be able to discover the reasons why pain occurs and predict which patients are more likely to have it. In the future, we hope to discover the biology of persistent pain and develop ways to combat it."

. . read more at http://www.scie.....113734.htm