Losing a limb is more common than you might think. According to recent estimates, there are around 2 million people living with limb loss in the United States alone. Life after limb loss can feel isolating, difficult, and painful. A portion of amputees struggle both mentally and physically as they adapt to a new way of life.
The good news is, physical therapy can help individuals with limb loss gain mobility and muscle strength, overcome challenges, reduce pain, and regain function. Physical therapists may also offer patient education to help improve quality of life.
In this blog, we’ll offer some important and illuminating facts about limb loss. Then, we’ll share the many ways that physical therapy can be beneficial for amputees.
What Are The Most Common Causes of Amputation?
- In the United States, symptoms related to poor management of diabetes are the most common cause of limb loss. When we think of diabetes, we usually think of problems processing sugar. But diabetes affects all systems of the body. It causes chronic inflammation, poor circulation, and nerve damage–all key risk factors for serious sores and ulcers, which can quickly lead to limb loss if not properly treated.
- Peripheral Artery Disease is another common cause of limb loss. This chronic condition can severely restrict or even block circulation to the extremities, especially the legs.
- Severe trauma may also result in limb loss. Physical trauma may be caused by falls, burns, injuries from explosives (like fireworks or firearms), and crush injuries (like those you might sustain in a car accident or occupational accident).
- Cancer amputations account for a portion of limb losses. While oncologists do their best to keep limbs intact, in certain cases, amputating a limb is the patient’s best option for recovery.
How Can a Person Reduce the Risk of Losing a Limb?
Quitting smoking is an important lifestyle change that can turn your health around and reduce the chances of losing a limb. Smoking impedes your circulation, damages your nerves, and slows wound healing, and smoking cessation has many health benefits.
Healthy management of diabetes is another way to reduce the risk of limb loss. Maintaining and improving these important systems of your body will lead to better health overall.
Keeping up a healthy lifestyle with support from family, friends, and your healthcare team can lower your risk of chronic conditions that could, if not properly managed, lead to limb loss.
What Are the Most Common Types of Amputation?
- Lower limb amputations are more common than upper limb amputations. This is in part because the lower limbs tend to be more affected by circulation disorders. Breaking these categories down further, the most common type of lower limb amputation is a below-knee (transtibial) amputation. Other lower limb amputations include:
- Above-knee amputation
- Through-knee amputation
- Full or partial ankle and/or foot amputation
- Toe amputation
- Hip disarticulation
- Hemipelvectomy
Upper limb amputations are less common, but still account for about 10% of all amputations.
They include:
- Above-elbow amputation
- Below-elbow amputation
- Hand amputation
- Finger amputation
- Wrist disarticulation
- Elbow disarticulation
- Shoulder disarticulation
- Forequarter amputation
Can Physical Therapy Treat Any Type of Amputation?
Yes, physical therapy can treat all types of amputation! Regardless of the type or extent, limb loss is a major change for the body to adjust to. It’s important for individuals to take care of themselves after limb loss, and physical therapy can help them start a new lifestyle.
At our clinic, we treat patients for lower extremity amputations, such as those of the leg, foot, or toe(s). However, our physical therapy team treats anyone personally affected by limb loss to help them reach their full potential.
How Can Physical Therapy Help After Amputation?
Physical therapy can mitigate some of the toughest effects of amputation, including: balance, gait, strengthening and conditioning. At Active Physical Therapy, we also work with local clinics to offer patient-centered care.
Any type of lower extremity amputation is going to impact your balance. An amputation alters your base of support–the parts of your body in direct contact with the ground. This impacts your balance. Amputation also changes how your muscles activate based on which groups of muscles were shortened, moved, or removed during your amputation. Physical therapy can improve your stability by strengthening the proper muscle groups and improving your awareness of your body, whether or not you have a prosthesis.
Physical therapy can also improve gait. We can help you re-learn how to walk using assistive devices, including different types of specialized walkers, canes, walking poles and, if necessary, new prosthetics. As you re-learn to walk, your body may compensate for the lost limb by putting additional stress on other parts of the body. This can lead to pain in areas such as the back or the hips as they take on additional workload. Physical therapists can help you improve your gait while avoiding overcompensating to keep your entire body as healthy and pain-free as possible.
Physical therapy can also better your health through strength and conditioning. After an amputation, walking, standing, and keeping your balance will require more energy. The higher your amputation, the more energy it will take to walk, transfer, and perform daily activities. It’s important to keep your entire body strong and well conditioned. We’ll help you work on your hip, core, and arm strength to make it easier to move and improve your quality of life.
Finally, at Active Physical Therapy, we collaborate with local prosthetists like Northern Prosthetics and Orthotics and the Hanger Clinic to ensure the best fit and function of any new or existing prosthetics. We’ll make sure they perform well for you throughout any daily mobility tasks. Prosthetists may come to your PT session to see if you need any adjustments or corrections to improve the fit or function of your prosthetic limb. A properly fitting prosthesis is vital to your health, happiness, and recovery–and we take that very seriously!
Take Charge of Your Recovery at Active Physical Therapy in Marquette County, MI
Life after limb loss can feel overwhelming and difficult, but you can take charge of your recovery and lifestyle changes with physical therapy. At Active Physical Therapy, our board certified physical therapists offer a wide range of therapies to identify and treat any post-amputation issues. We can also help you stay healthy to prevent future problems. Our two locations in Marquette and two locations in Ishpeming are all equipped to accommodate your needs.
Are you ready to empower yourself and start your healing journey? Get started by requesting an appointment on our website.