The Role of Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of a Psychogenic Jumpy Stump

The aim of the study was to describe (i) the role of a psychologist in the assessment and management of a jumpy stump with a clinical picture of severe pain, fasciculations, and psychological symptoms and (ii) the key role of the psychological intervention of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in working with symptoms of severe pain concomitant with emotional and behavioral disruptions. This was a case study done at a pain clinic at a private hospital. A 14-year-old boy presented to the hospital with an above knee amputation due to a congenitally malformed leg. The psychological intervention was based on the ACT and noninvasive physical therapy modalities. The main outcome measures were Self-Report for Childhood Anxiety Related Disorders, Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. A significant reduction in pain and fasciculations in the stump along with an improvement in the psychological functioning of the patient was observed after the intervention by the pain management team. The fact that the somatic symptoms responded to psychological interventions rapidly and consistently points to the jumpy stump being psychogenic in etiology. A thorough psychological evaluation and intervention must be done in movement disorders arising out of peripheral nerve injury because psychological stressors are now increasingly being known to influence these conditions.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA

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