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Pain and Spine Medicine

Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation for Phantom Limb Pain: A Case Report

Saturday, October 25, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM MT
Location: Kiosk 4

    Primary Author(s)

  • Eric Poole, MD

    Resident Physician, PGY-3
    Charles Drew University
    Long Beach, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Sara Buckley, DO

    Resident
    Charles Drew University
    Los Angeles, California

    • Poster Presenter(s)

  • SH

    Sean Hendrix, MD

    PM&R PGY-3
    Charles Drew University
    Los Angeles, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • CH

    Calvin Ho, MD

    Associate Program Director
    Charles Drew University/VA Long Beach Healthcare
    Huntington Beach, California

  • RT

    Richard Thai, DO

    Associate Program Director
    Charles Drew University
    Chino Hills, California

  • AW

    Agnes Wallbom, MD

    Professor and Chair
    Charles Drew University
    Los Angeles, California

  • ND

    Nathaniel L. Dusto, MD

    Pain Management Physician
    Long Beach VA
    Long Beach, California

Disclosure(s):
Eric Poole, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Sara Buckley, DO: No financial relationships to disclose
Sean Hendrix, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Case Diagnosis: Phantom limb pain

Case Description or Program Description: Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a phenomenon in which patients experience discomfort or paresthesias in an extremity that is no longer present, commonly occurring as a sequela of amputation. Traditional treatments include pharmacotherapy—such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticonvulsants, topical analgesics, and local anesthetics—as well as nonpharmacologic interventions, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, biofeedback, and nerve blocks. Pulsed radiofrequency ablation (pRFA) has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for this neuropathic pain condition.

Setting: Long Beach VA

Assessment/Results: We present a case of a 78-year-old male with PLP following a left below-knee amputation (BKA). Despite standard treatment, his pain remained unremitting. The patient subsequently elected to undergo pRFA targeting the left sciatic-popliteal nerve. Following this minimally invasive procedure, he reported complete (100%) pain relief and significant improvement in functional outcomes.

Discussion (relevance): The dramatic pain relief and functional improvement observed in this patient highlight pRFA as a promising minimally invasive intervention in patients refractory to conventional therapies.

Conclusions: This case highlights the potential role of pRFA as an effective intervention for phantom limb pain. Further studies are warranted to establish optimal protocols and assess long-term efficacy.