Symptoms of phantom limb pain are highly individualized, may be extremely traumatic

Mccaffrey and Beebe provide a reminder that is especially important for treating phantom limb pain victims: "Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person say it does". A healthcare provider cannot know another person's subjective experience and exhibiting this kind of audacity directly increases patient's suffering. In a survey of 2700 veterans who had undergone amputation, 60% "reported that their physicians had directly stated or clearly implied that their pain was 'just in their heads'". (Davis, 1993, 80) Furthermore, the majority of patients were concerned that disclosing their pain to their physicians would lead them to believe they were mentally ill. Even though these figures are outdated, this attitude may still prevail today with some health care providers, and it's important to respect the patient's experience to ensure people get the care and treatment they deserve. 

A variety of different pain symptoms may be felt

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Pain varies in frequency, intensity, duration, and type. Sometimes pain is infrequent and sharp, whereas dull, continuous pain has been noted by others. Descriptors range from "sharp, shooting, or electrical like to [...] dull, squeezing, and cramping." (Hsu et. al, 2013)  The pain may be localized to one part of the missing limb or may include the whole missing limb. Onset usually occurs soon after the amputation. Sometimes PLP increases over time, and other times it decreases. As noted in an earlier entry, factors such as age, gender, ethnicity and health status have no correlation with the existence of pain. It is important to note that PLP occurs in congenital limb loss, so nerve damage is not necessarily a factor. 

Sources: 

Davis, R. W. (1993, January). Phantom Sensation, Phantom Pain, and Stump Pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 74, 79-91.

Hsu, E., & Cohen, S. P. (2013, February 13). Postamputation pain: epidemiology, mechanisms, and treatment. Journal of Pain Research, 6, 121-136.