Minerva Med. 1979 Dec; 70(56): 3843-51.

[Unusual use of reflexotherapeutic technics for control of pain in cases of phantom limb. Spinal and supraspinal theory]

Milani L, Roccia L.

Treatment of selected cases of amputees suffering from phantom-limbs pains by means of unusual techniques of reflexotherapy is reported. Nose, hand and foot acupuncture and classical auricolotherapy demonstrate in the patients here reported the beneficial effect of these methods. Nosologic, pathologic, clinic results and the anatomo functional mechanisms through which the therapeutic action of reflexoterapy can be explained are discussed. Spinal and trigeminal-reticulo-spinal pathways (central biasing mechanism) are postulated as inhibitory control system for somatic afferences.