Advernture Rehab

How soon will I be able to walk?
That depends on how quickly you heal. If you have good circulation and no post-operative complications, you might be ready to use a prosthesis in a matter of weeks – your Prosthetist will be able to advise you. Your rehabilitation with specialised physiotherapy will start sooner. As soon as you can get in to see the team that will deliver your day to day and initial rehabilitation and speak to them about your aspirations, goals and what you did before – this will all help them to help you and will help you establish a time scale that you and your family can use as a guide for the next few months!

What will my prosthesis be like?
You’ll be given a basic limb to begin with, usually a month to six weeks after amputation. Your permanent prosthesis is prescribed as soon as possible and most people are fitted during the following 12-18 months – it can take longer depending on a huge variety of factors that yo rehabilitation team will discuss with you. Many previously fit and healthy people are fitted much sooner and will progress fast towards returning to the life they previously enjoyed. If you do well in your rehabilitation and you start to get active again, you may find different components are included to aid your lifestyle -and this is where discussing your needs clearly and early on in your recovery is key to the rehab team understanding what you want to achieve.

Does it hurt?
We weren’t designed to wear artificial limbs so you can expect some discomfort at first, until your body adjusts to wearing it. Once you’ve become accustomed to your prosthesis, it shouldn’t hurt at all. If it does, you should call your Prosthetist or mobility centre for an appointment – you will quickly learn what is right and what is not!

How does it stay on?
There are many different suspension methods – some limbs are suspended using suction and some are attached using straps or extensions of the socket – it will be an eveloving process for you and your prosthetics team to guide you through – and every solution will have pro’s and cons you will need to balance against your needs.

Is an artificial limb heavy?
The simple answer is yes – to start with – but you will quickly adjust to it and it will not be any more heavy than your limb previously was…. its just an addition to you now – so you notice hw heavy it is! Learning to use your limb expertly and developing your limb endurance is key to the long term comfort of your prosthesis. Components are made from extremely light materials to keep weight down but often the compromise is that the technology that enables better function comes with the addition of some weight – it is a compromise – just like that performance car or bike!

How long will I be able to wear the leg during the day?
Once you’re used to wearing your new limb, you’ll be able to wear it all day and every day. Putting it on in the morning and removing it when you go to bed will become part of your normal routine and you’ll hardly notice you’re doing it.

Do I need a cosmesis (cover to make it look more like a natural limb)?
It depends on your personal preference. Some people prefer the look of a cosmesis, while others like the ‘engineered’ look of the limb itself, it will also depend on a hundred other factors including cost, weight and flexibility. Discuss this early with your prosthetics team — often limb builds and set up are reasonably quick processes — it is the manufacture and craftsmanship in the cosmesis that takes time — so if you want to reduce your waiting time — consider how important the cosmesis section is to your recovery?

Is my new limb going to wear out?
Its a tool. Tools wear and become comfortable, they then need replacing once bit break or wear out — sadly yes they do wear out — usually just wen you have them comfortable!… however in time you will recognise when this happens and your limbs build and components are matched to your activity levels. Generally though in the first year or so — your residual limb will be consistently settling and this will demand component changes (for sockets) before more technical components wear out. Adding water especially sea water or the beach to your limb is a slightly different issue! – see water prosthesis later on….!

Can I get my limb dirty?
Its your limb, you need to use it for the same functions you’d have used the original for! Some limbs will require careful protection from the environment (in the case of microprocessor hands and knees — and this advice is best sought from your team — mistakes can be expensive). But in general limbs can be treated as you would a piece of machinery — keep them well looked after, cleaned and joints lubricated etc and they will not let you down. Be careful of feet filling up with muddy water…. it has a habit of ruining your sofa when you put your feet up after walking your dog!

Do I need special shoes? Will I need new ones?
You can use almost any shoe with your prosthesis, but for control and security it’s best to choose shoes which encase the foot as much as possible an have a flat or neutral sole position. Most foot components work properly with shoes of only one heel height, though there are some prosthetic feet that provide adjustment so that shoes of different heel heights can be worn. Athletic-type shoes are often recommended —they’re lightweight and usually have soles that prevent slipping and it helps if your shoe has a flat profile across the sole. Take the shoes you wear most often when you’re fitted for your limb.

I want to go to the beach or get in the water?
Water activity prosthesis can be manufactured specific to your needs — make sure your wishes are articulated to the rehab team — a prosthetic designed for walking to a swimming pool is not necessarily suitable for swimming — and so you need to have that chat!. Water limbs are not going to be the highest priority but are key to you returning to your previous life so engage early with the team and discuss your needs. Bear in mid function here over style!…. and if your swimming lengths for exercise try it with your leg off — it means you can swim soon after your wounds are closed and its great for settling the residual limb and training the associated muscles.

Will I get cold fingers or toes?
No! … but you may experience so called ‘phantom limb sensation’ that is your brain adjusting to the new messages that your nerves are sending — you have the benefit of being able to visually rationalise those feelings and sensations and hopefully your flexibility and level of function will help you to restore your ‘feeling’ quickly.

Will I need to adapt my clothing?
No — almost certainly not — and if you do the limb centre can advise you on what minor alterations may be necessary. What you may have to do is devise new methods of managing items of clothing — and this is something you should embrace as unique lessons you will have to master to get back to the life you want.

Will I need crutches?
Once you have mastered your limbs your reliance on walking aids will diminish and eventually go as your levels of skill and confidence improve. Occasionally you will need them if a leg is being repaired or you have a skin problem that means you cant wear your limb — but hopefully these periods will be minimised by good management and you listening to your body!

Will I need a wheel chair?
You may — and it may be a really useful aide to mobility — if you need it use it — if you don’t leave it behind! It will be dependent on your fitness, level of ability, motivation and any other complicating factors that you have to manage.

Will my residual limb feel cold in winter?
Residual limbs have altered blood supplies and physiology and so their response to warm and cold can take time to understand — you will quickly learn what works for you and what does not. It is key to maintain comfort and to ensure good fit with your prosthetic limb and cold can be a factor in all of this. In essence treat your limb as you did before — if its cold put a jumper or trousers on… if its hot adopt a t-shirt and shorts!

Will my residual limb be comfortable in hot weather?
The heat can play havoc with suspension systems and you will need to lean to manage issues concerning sweating and comfort in hot environments – this is practice and management and every amputee has to attend to it — so ask others what they do — its not a ‘dark art’ – there are some antiperspirant preparations that can help to keep sweating under control and these can be especially useful for high activity prosthetic wearers — but simply removing teh limb and replacing it more frequently can be as effective. Your management method will be dictated to by your activities and the situation. You will have to experiment and see. Listen to your residual limb and if you need to take the limb of and let the skin air out…. do it! It will save skin complaints that a more problematic to manage! Prevention is definitely better than cure!

What happens if you walk off without your artificial leg?
You’ll fall over, and probably hurt yourself or pull a sink off the wall in trying to balance! Be careful, take your time and think. Do not risk hopping about — bedrooms become festooned with trip hazards and sharp edges to land on —just be careful and always wear a leg or protect an arm when moving about. However most amputees report having falling on a residual limb…, those that have will also report that you only do it once!

How do you wash an artificial limb?
The prosthesis its self can be managed like any other tool, carefully cleaned and re-lubricated as required — if it has a cosmesis on this will be more difficult to clean and preventing it getting merky will be the most straightforward solution – hence most high active limb users opt for no cosmesis and simply hose the limb off like a mountain bike!! Technical limbs will not cope with this treatment — and require you to follow carefully the many manufacturers instructions. Your personal hygiene and maintaining the cleanliness of liners and socks especially in hot or dirty environments is key to staving off problems. Most of this routine can be managed with straight forward soap and water, but it must become regular habit or skin infections can be a problem.

What happens if I get a skin infection?
You should keep your residual limb clean like the rest of your body and find time for a daily check for abrasions or sore spots. If you do get an infection, make sure that any lotions or creams you use have been approved by medical staff and follow the guidance for skin infections from your GP – most tediously will be the consequence that you may need to keep your limb off for a few days to alow the infection to clear. This is frustrating but perhaps often a sign that your pushing things quicker than your body can cope with — so relax, read the book your Gran gave you for Christmas, eat well, rest and get better! Ican still feel my toes/fingers even though my leg/arm has been amputated. Is this normal? Yes, it is. It’s called phantom limb sensation, and most amputees experience it to some degree. If it’s uncomfortable, speak to your rehabilitation team or doctor about treatment options. Often increasing your activity levels will help.

Will I get phantom limb pain?
No not necessarily — but if you do experience it there is much that can be done — do not panic!