Author: Linus Månsson

Getting an amputation is a life experience that brings with it a whole series of changes and adjustments to accommodate the lack of a limb. It’s no surprise that adjusting to it can prove to be difficult for anyone who prefers living an active lifestyle. However, it’s important to know that your regular daily routine shouldn’t stop after amputation, even if a huge part of it consists of counting your calories.

 

Whether you’re a bodybuilder, someone who likes to examine what they eat, or you’re simply under strict dietary restrictions and standards, you may find it difficult to count your calories after an amputation. They can be affected heavily by the loss of a limb, especially if that limb had a lot of muscle. 

 

You should know that having a certain amount of muscle will cause you to burn more calories. So if a certain limb with muscle is amputated, chances are your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) will decrease after amputation. In order to manually calculate the amount of calories that you’ll have to consume to reach your fitness goals, you’ll have to decide what your ideal body weight and total TDEE after amputation will be.

 

Steps to follow

Although it might seem a bit too complicated, you can actually adjust your caloric needs after amputation in a few simple steps:

 

STEP 1: Calculate your target body weight before the amputation

For men: The standard equation for calculating your ideal body weight is 106 pounds (for the first five feet of your height) plus 6 pounds for every inch above 5 feet (or minus 6 for every inch below). To illustrate, the ideal weight of a man who is 5 feet and 8 inches tall is 146 pounds.

For women: On the other hand, women should use 100 pounds for the first 5 feet, and then add 5 pounds for every inch above five feet (or deduct 5 pounds for every inch below 5 feet, inversely).

STEP 2: Determine the total amount of weight you lost after the amputation

You’ll have to refer to any medical records you had pre-amputation for your starting weight and weigh yourself after amputation. Subtract the former from the latter to get the total amount of weight that you lost. After getting the total amount of weight lost, divide your lost weight by your pre-amputation weight to get the total percentage.

 

STEP 3: Calculate your remaining body weight

With the amount of weight lost in percentage, subtract your post-amputation weight loss from 100 to get the total amount of weight that you have left.

 

STEP 4: Calculate your ideal body weight post-amputation

Once you’ve got the remaining percentage of body weight, convert that into decimal form and multiply it by your ideal body weight pre-amputation in order to get your ideal post-amputation weight.

 

STEP 5: Determine your Physical Activity coefficient based on your activity level

For men aged 19 and older: Your PA values are 1.0 if you have a sedentary lifestyle, 1.11 if you are slightly or lowly-active, 1.25 if you’re active, and 1.48 if you’re very active

For women aged 19 and older: The PA values you’ll have to follow are 1.0 if you’re sedentary, 1.12 if you’re low active, 1.27 if you have an active lifestyle, and 1.45 if you’re very active.

 

STEP 6: Calculate how many calories you’ll need to consumer to reach your goal

For men: The equation is as follows: 662 – (9.53 x age in years) + PA x [(15.91 x weight in kilograms) + (539.6 x height in meters)]

For women: The equation is as follows: 354 – (6.91 x age in years) + PA x [(9.36 x weight in kilograms) + (726 x height in meters)]

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People who suffer from diabetes are vulnerable to a trifecta of trouble that can set the stage for amputations. Increasing numbness in the feet due to nerve damage, particularly diabetic neuropathy, can lead to foot ulcers as people may fail to notice any injuries inflicted. When the wounds are left unattended and fail to heal, it can then take a turn for the worse and lead to severe infections that may require diabetic amputations. 

Fortunately, the number of lower limb amputations have decreased to 50% in the past 20 years, though they remain an ever-present problem as approximately 89,000 diabetic patients in the United States still undergo limb loss as of 2019. 

 

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?

This describes the nerve damage that occurs as a result of high sugar levels, primarily affecting the feet, legs, and arms. This means that sensation is significantly reduced, leading to unnoticed injuries that can turn into ulcers or infections. Also, diabetes prevents injuries from healing entirely due to the reduced blood flow of diabetic patients. If left unattended, it can cause further complications with the tissue and cause the injured area to deteriorate, which may result in the need for amputation. 

However, if the diabetic neuropathy is caught early, the symptoms can be managed, and you can prevent worst-case scenarios like an amputation. To that end, prevention is always better than cure, and the tips below should help you take proper care of your lower limbs to avoid any devastating mishaps in the future.

 

Tip #1: Inspect your feet daily

Take the time to regularly and carefully check your feet for blisters, cuts, cracks, sores, redness, tenderness, or swelling. If you find any calluses, corns, bunions, or warts forming, avoid removing them by yourself or adding any chemical removers. Instead, be sure to visit your doctor or a foot specialist as they will know how to properly remove any of these lesions without causing any lasting damages that can trigger your diabetic neuropathy. Also, if you are unable to reach your feet, opt to use a hand mirror to check the soles of your feet properly. Furthermore, if you need to cut your nails, be sure to be cautious and cut it straight across. However, it is better to ask a caregiver to do so, especially when you already have numbness in your feet. 

 

Tip #2: Avoid smoking at all costs

Nicotine and the harsh chemicals included in tobacco impairs blood circulation and reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. This can worsen the state of your wounds and promote poor healing.

 

Tip #3: Don’t go barefoot

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people get injured just by walking around the house barefoot. Make sure to protect the bottom of your feet using soft slippers or at least some clean, dry socks that can help cushion your feet.

 

Tip #4: Schedule regular foot checkups

Even if you’ve managed to avoid any apparent injuries at home successfully, you need to stay vigilant and ensure that you schedule for regular foot checkups with your doctor or podiatrist. After all, these professionals have trained eyes to see for early signs of nerve damage, poor circulation, and other foot problems beyond your control at home. 

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

 

Everyone needs to eat healthy, by consuming protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a modest amount of fats. Besides, adequate nutrition provides persons with an amputation a powerful emotional and mental boost they need to keep on living despite living through a difficult circumstance. While the nutritional needs of a person before and after amputation does not differ overall, there are slight yet essential differences in their nutrition strategy to maintain their wellbeing.

 

Weight gain

Amputees tend to gain weight more easily because they engage in less physical activity given their mobility challenges. If an amputee has no one with them to assist in buying ingredients for a healthy meal, shopping for food becomes a less practical option. Instead, they’ll choose to order fast food that could be delivered to their doorsteps in minutes. Depression can also lead them to overeat, which in turn contributes to weight gain. Side effects of medication that amputees consume as well as difficulties in adjusting to a new lifestyle can all cause weight gain.

 

Effects of weight gain on amputees

Additional weight can add stress on your prosthetics and reduce its comfort around the knees or joints. This would further discourage any exercise such as walking, which would further contribute to weight gain and prosthetics pain in an endless feedback cycle. Weight gain would also affect the amputee’s emotional outlook and self-esteem. Thus, they need to have their weight checked and managed by having a proper and balanced diet.

 

Meal plans for amputees

To ensure that you eat well and have well-chosen foods for each day, you and your loved ones will need to have a meal plan prepared. Having a meal plan ensures that you get the nutrition you need for each day while regulating the number of calories, cholesterol, fats, and carbs that you consume. Among the essential steps involved in the preparation and implementation of a meal plan include the following:

 

• Draft a weekly menu that takes into consideration your calorie needs. The ingredients you buy and eat in a day will depend on this menu.
• Foods rich in Vitamins C and E, protein, iron, and zinc should be given priority on your meal plan. These nutrients are essential in healing and tissue repair related to your amputation.
• Schedule a day in your week where you can go grocery shopping for healthy and fresh ingredients.
• Set aside a day of the week to prepare and pre-pack food rations for the whole week.
• Strictly portion your food into fixed amounts to prevent overeating. Pre-packing your meals for the week helps ensure portioning is enforced.
• Keep yourself well-hydrated at all times. Drinking plenty of water helps add to the feeling of fullness without the calories, fats, and carbs.

 

Professional intervention

Talk with a registered dietitian who can help you come up with a meal plan that would give you the nutrition without the added weight. They might also refer you to a specialist who can design your meal plan for you, as well as the set of exercises and activities you need to do to keep your weight within healthy levels. These specialists will prepare your meal plan and exercises strategy according to your physical characteristics, medical circumstances, and specific needs.

If your mental and emotional health is affecting your capacity to plan your meal, you would need to set an appointment with a psychologist as well. They can help you not only cope with the mental and emotional trauma from your amputation, but they can also help you modify your behaviour to adjust to a new lifestyle that requires you to stick to a strict routine, which is your meal plan. Mind-body-meditations and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are some of the techniques they can use to help you achieve your nutritional needs.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

After a successful amputation, there’s more in life that awaits you. It’s great to rise above the predicament. However, there’s many adjustments to do when you’ve experienced a limb loss. Taking one step at a time is essential, as you’ll soon progress into living a full, functional life.

One aspect that you should get used to is sock management. Sock management entails making use of prosthetic socks to control and improve the fit of your device to your body for optimum function and utmost comfort. Prosthetic socks are often added or removed to manage changes in limb volume.

In the next section, we’ll learn more about the importance of sock management, how sock management can be counter-intuitive, and how practice can make a difference for one to cope with a limb loss.

 

Importance of Sock Management

It’s essential to make use of socks when people with limb loss wear below-the-knee prostheses. Chances are they wear socks of different thickness. Ply is the term used to describe the thickness of a prosthetic sock. They come in different plys, which can be one-ply, three-ply, or five-ply. As an example, a five-ply sock is five times thicker than a one-ply sock. Also, it may mean that five one-ply socks are equivalent to a five-ply sock.

It’s worth knowing that a patient’s body fluid goes through the body and the legs swell up a little when taking off the knee prosthesis and lay on the bed. Now when the patient puts weight on the limb, the body fluid is being pushed up and down. This means that throughout the day, the residual limb shrinks. For this reason, how you make use of your prosthetic socks can somehow contribute to your weight-bearing, and device function, as well as your comfort.

 

Counter-Intuitive Sock Management

Sock management is counter-intuitive. It’s different when we make use of our socks than it is for limb-loss patients when they have to adjust the socks to fit their limbs and prostheses. When you’re wearing thick pair of socks, and they seem rather tight, chances are you may remove them and look for a less thick pair.

However, it’s different with limb loss. The residual limb is pressing deeper into the socket as pressure is applied to it since the limb is much smaller during the day. This is what makes the socket feels tighter. So the idea is to provide more layer which will serve as a buffer. Because of this, you might be adding another sock or opting for a sock with a higher ply.

 

Practice Sock Adjustments

As it is often said, practice makes perfect. As time goes by, you’ll eventually get used to your body rhythm. You will be more familiar with the patterns of your body and how your prosthesis fits throughout the day. Therefore, you can to listen more to the demands of your body and adjust the socks and device whenever necessary. Eventually, you’ll get used to using prosthetic socks and become better at sock management. As a result, you can walk better and experience comfort over time. Thanks to sock management and how it has greatly helped you in your journey to living a fuller, functional life amid your struggle!

 

Final Words

There’s more to consider about living a life with limb loss. Sock management is just one facet of the overall equation. However, it makes a difference to know how sock management can impact your device, residual limb, and overall function. In the end, you deserve a better, functional life amid your limb loss, and sock management can make a great deal of difference!

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

Losing a limb can be traumatizing for most people, especially for those who are accustomed to going through their daily lives with a complete set. Losing a limb can be compared to a machine losing one of its critical parts to carry out tasks effectively. Unlike with a machine, however, this does not have to mean the end of everything else, but it can affect your overall functionality. The loss of a vital part of your musculoskeletal system won’t only hamper your ability to carry on with your daily routine but affect the rest of your body that’s slowly accustoming itself to functioning without the limb that you lost.

 

How you can get back on track

Although limb loss may affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally, there are several ways of getting back to normal life as soon as possible without the need for expensive treatments or surgeries. Fortunately, these simple, cost-effective tips can help you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel while adjusting to life as an amputee. 

To help cut out the “dis” in disability for good, here are a few tips that you can follow to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy as ever during the adjustment phase: 

 

// Find a specialized physical trainer who can help you out

In cases like these, a physical trainer serves more than someone who can help you out with getting back on track to regular functioning with ease. Having a physical trainer also means having someone who can also guide you through the important steps towards facing all types of barriers.

Other than helping you with proper training, nutrition, and other related steps, a specialized physical trainer is also someone whom you can talk to when trying to living without a limb. Most physical trainers have worked with cases like yours, but that doesn’t mean that you’re any less special — it just means that they know how to approach your situation better. Experienced physical trainers will know all the right words to say whenever you feel hopeless. They can also help you build up mental resilience (aside from training your physical health).

 

// Head on over to the gym

While there might be fewer workouts that you can do, depending on which limb you lost, going to the gym is a perfect way to release tension. It’s always a good idea to help put all your negative energy into lifting weights and putting them down, especially because the fitness goals come along can with helping to mentally train yourself for the unshakable dedication and work to be instilled in your recovery process as an amputee.

Just like the process of building a better body, hitting the milestones of recovering from limb loss is all about patience, understanding, and perseverance. This can eventually aid in your overall recovery process and make the situation a lot easier to bear. Aside from spiritual and motivational needs, busting it out at the gym can help you find a stronger, more refined sense of confidence that you can wear proudly in the face of adversity, allowing you come out victorious every single time.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

Two of the most important parts in prosthetic device setups are the liners and sleeves; you may not notice it, but they’re responsible for the softness and comfort that you experience during use. Prosthetic sleeves and liners are vital components in the suspension between layers and the ease of use of any prosthetic device or limb, which means they need to be given much care and maintenance once you start using them.

When prosthetic sleeves and liners aren’t maintained properly, they’re prone to becoming brittle and even cracking, which can result in you having to spend more to use your prosthetic limb without any discomfort. Aside from the brittleness and cracking, unmaintained prosthetic devices will begin to give off a funky smell that won’t go unnoticed, eventually falling apart much more quickly.

Given the delicate nature of the materials used, it’s essential to maintain your prosthetic devices regularly so that their usefulness can be prolonged, setting replacement day back a few more years (or decades, even).

How to maintain a prosthetic device properly

Prosthetics might seem like a pain to maintain, but it’s much easier than people think! Here are some essential tips that you can use to help keep your prosthetic device nice and clean while helping it last even longer:

Clean your prosthetic device regularly

Using a trusted high-quality cleanser to give your prosthetic device a thorough clean is important in ensuring that it will last longer in its usefulness. Leaving sweat and grime in your prosthetic device can result in aggravated skin irritation and result in even more problems than you can handle. Those irritations can range from sores, allergies, red skin, and even strange smells. If you don’t have a pH-balanced or special prosthetic cleaner, gentle compounds like baby shampoo will do the trick to help keep your device in tip-top shape.

After applying a gentle solution on your cleaner, use your hands and rub and wash it on the gel and fabric of the prosthetic liner until it forms foams. If you want a deeper clean, use a soft brush (like a toothbrush) to help get in tight spots such as your prosthetic liners and sleeves. Once you’re satisfied with the result, wash the foam off with warm water until all the soap comes off. 

Pass on the animal-based skin care products

Using skin care products that contain any animal oil, animal fat, or hydrocarbon oil will cause your gel liners and prosthetic sleeves to break down quickly due to their chemical content. It would be best for you to settle for other alternatives that don’t contain any similar materials. Examine the product ingredients that you use on your skin by checking the list in the label to ensure that those items are free of animal products.

Use prosthetic wipes

If you don’t have time to clean your prosthetic sleeves and liners thoroughly, specially-formulated prosthetic wipes are perfect for maintaining your prosthetic sleeves, liners, and the device itself. This is perfect for when you’re travelling or on the go! Using prosthetic wipes that are pH-balanced and alcohol-free will help with the maintenance of your device and skin. It will also reduce the occurrences of unwanted odours during use!

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

 

After a successful amputation, a new life awaits those who will be living with prosthetic limbs. Sure, living with prosthetic can be quite challenging. If you are a lower-limb prosthetic user, you need to adjust to having a new mechanical part of your body. Over time, the prosthetic is said to become an extension of your body. Getting there, however, is a challenge.

Thus, the use of prosthesis involves a 50/50 effort between you and your prosthetist. Even longtime wearers of a prosthesis can sometimes experience minor setbacks. The new ones may also find it hard to adjust. Not to mention the many prosthetic considerations to take note of — from wearing to cleaning to maintaining your prosthetic and your condition.

That said, here are five things that you need to remember when wearing a prosthetic. It pays to be wary of these considerations and not to take your prosthesis for granted.

Have a Regular Checkup with Your PCP

First off, it’s crucial to have a regular checkup with your Primary Care Physician (PCP). Visit your general doctor at least once every six months. This is in order to discuss the condition of your residual limb. You will also need to check the function of your prosthesis with your doctor. If there is something that bothers you such as new prosthetic needs (For instance new liners, socks, or shrinkers), your prosthesis no longer fitting, or certain discomfort or instability, tell your doctor. This is so he or she can immediately act on it by writing a prescription for you.

Visit Your Prosthetist

Apart from your regular PCP, visiting your prosthetist at least every six months is equally important. You should do this even if you think nothing is wrong. That being said, if you notice that something feels off with your limb or prosthesis, schedule an appointment with your prosthetist immediately. You can do this even in between scheduled visits to your prosthetist.

Check Your Medical Insurance Coverage

It pays to be informed about your medical insurance coverage. Whether you are covered by private healthcare insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, you need to understand the terms of your insurance coverage. There may be corresponding deductibles or copays that apply; hence, you may have to shell out some money. Some medical insurance packages do not include prosthetics as a covered benefit. Thus, you may have to buy a secondary coverage policy so that more of your prosthetic expenses are covered since you will be using them for your lifetime.

Know Your K-level

Furthermore, it is imperative that you know what your K-level is. You also have to determine how it affects the components your prosthetist can use when fabricating your prosthesis. The K-level is employed to test the amputee’s mobility level used throughout the medical insurance community. This level can be determined by your PCP and/or by your prosthetist. The levels can range from K-0 to K-4, with the latter indicating a very active or athletic individual.

Maintain Personal Hygiene

Finally, what better way to ensure prosthetic function and your health condition than to maintain good personal hygiene? This is particularly very important for lower-limb amputees, knowing that it relates to your limbs and entails daily cleaning of the inside of your liners. That said, pay particular attention to your sound foot and leg. Be wary of dry skin, blisters, and ulcers which can lead to infections. Taking such infections for granted may lead to another amputation surgery. It’s always best to maintain a level of cleanliness throughout your body.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

In today’s fast-paced society, driving is arguably the most reliable way for one to go from one place to another. Whether you’re buying groceries or going to work, driving your personal car is extremely convenient.

For people who have suffered from limb loss, however, the ability to continue driving their own car as the primary means of transportation may seem impossible. Fortunately, it is more than possible for people to drive with a prosthesis today. This article will outline what it means to drive with a prosthesis.

 

Overview of Prostheses

Losing a limb – whether from an accident or a medical condition – can be traumatizing. A prosthesis is an artificial device used to replace a missing limb, which is designed to help amputees with their everyday activities, making it easier for them to function.

There are various types of prostheses available today, including passive prostheses and functional prostheses. Passive prostheses are generally used for purely cosmetic purposes whereas functional prostheses are devices designed to assist amputees with daily tasks.

 

Getting a Driver’s License

Before an amputee can attain a driver’s license, there are many steps involved in the process. The one thing that every amputee must do is to inform the driver’s license agency about the change to their medical condition. In general, an amputee must visit an assessment center to see if their vehicle has to go through any structural modifications.

This is to ensure the safety of the driver and every passenger in the car. After that, the amputee has to retake a driving test to further test the amputee’s ability to drive in a safe manner. If amputees wish to continue driving, they are allowed to do so, given that they have passed the test and the necessary modifications to the vehicle have been made.

 

Getting Vehicular Modifications

As mentioned, there are cases that the vehicle needs to be modified in order to fit with the amputee’s special needs. Hand controls can be added such as hand brakes, accelerators, and steering knobs that help to ensure safe driving. For some amputees, some components have to be moved around for ease of use as well. For example, the gas and brake may have to be switched to the left side of the floorboard instead. Necessary upgrades can also be made, such as an upgrade to the turn signals, windshield wipers, and others.

 

Driving Regulations For People With Prostheses

The ability to drive a vehicle should not be reserved only for people with all of their limbs. Driving a vehicle is a necessary means of transportation for amputees just as much as everyone else. Luckily, most countries have policies and regulations regarding driving with a prosthesis, showing the acknowledgement that all prosthetic patients are also able to drive just as well as others. If you’ve recently gotten a prosthesis limb, you should not be discouraged to stop driving. Remember – losing a limb doesn’t mean that you have to stop living your life.

 

Final Notes

Going through an amputation surgery and learning to perform daily tasks with a prosthetic limb are difficult for everyone. When it comes to the recovery process, everyone copes in a different way and recovers at a different rate. You may take more time to adjust to a prosthesis than others would, but that is perfectly fine. The most important thing is to remember that your family, friends, and counsellor are always there to support you throughout your journey to living a happy, fulfilling life.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

Regardless of what age somebody is or what their day by day conditions are, everybody experiences difficulty in sleeping every now and then. It’s a vicious cycle—even the food you ate before going to bed can result in a sleepless night.

Sleeping soundly is especially challenging for individuals who’ve gone through limb loss. Over 1.6 million Americans have gone through this misfortune, and even if not all of them are wearing a prosthetic limb, all of them can experience sleeping issues.

In this article, we’ll share with you some tips on how you can get a comfortable and sound sleep every night. These will also help ensure that your prosthetic limb fits you well for many years to come.

 

Shower in the Evening

If you’ve been used to taking your shower in the mornings, you should think about switching up your daily schedule after getting and wearing your prosthetic limb. The heat from your morning shower can cause your limb to swell. As a result, your prosthetic limb might not fit you well. This can cause a significant level of discomfort throughout the entire day. So, we recommend showering in the evening so the swelling won’t bother you.

 

Wear Your Prosthetic Limb Before Sitting Up From Sleep

Following the same logic, when you wake up, it’s not wise to sit up and throw your legs to the side of the bed without wearing your prosthetic leg first. This is because while sleeping, your entire body relaxes: your organs, bones, and body fluids also slept. When you wake up and sit up, the body fluid will flow down to your legs when you throw them to the side right after getting up from sleep.

Put on your prosthetic leg while still lying down, so that when you sit or stand up, your leg would have already adjusted to the prosthetic limb’s opening.

 

Skip the Pillow Between the Legs

Sleeping with a pillow between the legs is very comfortable and some people love doing it. However, doing so is not advisable for individuals who’ve had an above-the-knee amputation. Putting a pillow between your thighs while sleeping can lengthen your inner thigh muscle while shortening your outer thigh muscle. Over time, these changes may affect how your limb lays during the day or while you’re standing with your prosthetic limb(s) on. This may result in pain.

Another related complication is the development of hip flexion contracture. In this condition, the hip is unable to completely straighten up, causing a patient discomfort every day.

 

Follow Stretching Recommendations

You can expect your physical therapist to teach you stretching exercises that you should do every day. You should particularly prioritize stretches that allow you to extend and strengthen your legs and hips. Do the stretches in the morning so that you’ll be ready for the entire day.

Following those stretching recommendations will help you to feel comfortable while sitting, standing, walking, lying down, and sleeping.

Figuring out how to live comfortably with a prosthetic limb may take a while, and an individual’s experience will always be different from that of another amputee. These tips are just some of those that you can follow and practice to ensure that you go through this journey as comfortably and safely as possible.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

When people travel, they can experience stress from the new environment they are placed in. This is true for everyone, but especially true for amputees. In a humid climate, everyone would get sweaty just as most would experience dry skin in arid places. However, some types of travel stress are unique to amputees. Eating salty food such as chips or seafood during travel can result in swelling in an amputee’s residual limb. It might also require more time to walk up a road or trail towards a mountaintop, but the effort would be worth the panoramic view.

While there are some challenges beyond your control when traveling as an amputee, you can still enjoy a fun and safe trip by planning properly and preparing a travel kit for your needs. Here’s what you’ll need to know about traveling as an amputee:

 

Before Your Trip

There will inevitably be challenges in terms of mobility and comfort. Therefore, you might want to inform yourself of any facilities near or within your destination that are friendly to amputees like you. Does the inn or hotel where you plan to stay have elevators? You can also ask a travel agency to assist you in finding the kind of transport appropriate to your needs as a person with a disability.

Before you go out on a trip, make sure that you check if the components of your prosthetic are still working the way they should. If you notice any loose parts, cracks, or abnormal sounds, have your prosthetist fix these problems so that you will avoid the hassle when you’re camping in the wilderness or going to a locality far from any prosthetist who could assist you in emergencies.

 

Packing Your Travel Kit

If you will be traveling to go to a warm or humid place, you need to consider how the climate will affect you and your residual limb. Perspiration makes your stump vulnerable to abrasions and can make you smell bad. It’s a good idea to pack antiperspirant sprays or roll-on products to control your sweat and avoid embarrassment. You can also bring body powder from your prosthetist to keep your stump dry.

It’s important to bring moisturizing creams and lotions to keep your skin fresh against dry and sunny environments such as the golf course or the beach. Odorless creams are preferable as scented moisturizing creams may have other substances that can irritate your skin. Your prosthetist can give or recommend skin lotions that you can apply over your stump to prevent sores.

Antiseptics and unscented body soap are two more things your amputee travel kit should contain to keep your skin clean and free from bacteria. The complimentary soap in your hotel might be too harsh on your skin, so use your own.

You should also bring a cleanser for your prosthetic limbs. Use it when wiping your prosthetics’ sockets, liners, and suspension sleeves to keep them free from dried sweat and bacteria. Just make sure to choose a cleaner that suits the material your prosthetic is made from. You can ask your prosthetist for advice on the matter.

Sores and minor wounds may develop during your trip. Therefore, it helps to have antibiotic ointments at hand so you can immediately treat these wounds or sores should they occur. Trekking and hiking can also stress your limb and can bring about abrasions or blisters. You should have skin dressing in your kit just in case blisters and abrasions form.

Those who have recently undergone their amputation operation may find it difficult to maintain proper posture. They may also hop instead of taking the time to place their prosthetic leg in the right position. These problems, including the improper fitting of prosthetics and loose sockets, can lead to pistoning on the stump area. Pistoning can reduce the suction at the place where your limb and leg meets, making it more difficult to move. The skin around the residual limb can also become scratched and feel painful. Include extra socket padding and suspension sleeves in your kit to mitigate the effects of pistoning.

Learn more about our prosthesis solutions on our product page. Feel free to get in touch with us today to see how we can help!