Articles
New nonprofit gets amputees help to lead live normal lives
Shelly Baxter-Wetmore lives by this golden rule: When you’re feeling bad about yourself, do something for someone else.
HOW TAYLOR SWIFT SAVED AN AMPUTEE’S LIFE
“I’ve really resonated with Taylor Swift’s music, because I feel like it represents the journey I’ve been on,” says 15-year-old Hallie Barnard. “She’s had so many different eras. And I’ve had my own eras.”
Seat Elevation Systems as an Accessory to Power Wheelchairs (Group 3)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finds that power seat elevation equipment on Medicare-covered power wheelchairs (PWCs) falls within the benefit category for durable medical equipment (DME). This Benefit Category Determination (BCD) expands the scope of the proposed benefit category decision based on consideration of public comments on the proposed decision memorandum. Section 1861(n) of the Social Security Act (the Act) defines what items are considered to be DME and 42 CFR 414.202 provides additional details on the definition of DME.
Benefits of Delayed Below-Knee Amputation vs. Limb Salvage
Earlier research has found similar subjective and functional effects between individuals with delayed lower-limb amputation and limb salvage. However, these studies are typically retrospective. So, researchers embarked on a prospective study to determine if they can accurately predict outcomes and improve the quality of life of certain individuals.
Stages of Emotional Healing After Limb Loss
Losing a limb is a life-altering experience. While some can jump in to getting used to their new body, others take a bit more time, which affects their relationships, work, and all other areas of life. It’s also important to note that different people respond differently to the loss of a limb. Hence, the path to emotional healing isn’t a straightforward and linear process everyone can follow.
Unsalvageable: Preventable Amputations Rise During COVID
Leafer Miller didn't hear much after the doctor told him they had to "sacrifice the leg." Lying on the emergency room gurney, the self-proclaimed video game nerd and former athlete struggled to comprehend life without the leg that had propelled him on the track and to the turf for tackles on the soccer field.
Amputees Merge With Their Bionic Leg
Scientists have helped three amputees merge with their bionic prosthetic legs as they climb over various obstacles without having to look. The amputees report using and feeling their bionic leg as part of their own body, thanks to sensory feedback from the prosthetic leg that is delivered to nerves in the leg's stump.
Why Celebrating Ampuversaries Is Important
Celebrating or simply remembering specific dates and milestones hold significant power. It allows us to look back and see how far we have come. Celebrating your amputation anniversary (which we will refer to in this article as “ampuversary”) is no different. Doing so can help improve your mental health and prepare you to be at your best for future challenges and lessons.
How Compression Shrinker Socks Help Maintain A Good Socket Fit
Amputees are all too familiar with a prosthetic shrinker because they are sure to wear them at one point or another. They usually are introduced to the shrinkerduring their rehabilitation phase when limb maturation and swelling reduction are critical. Some continue to use it after that, and others choose to end their short-lived relationship with the shrinker then and there.
New Study Shows Vigorous Exercise Is Essential To Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease
Saying that exercise is beneficial for your health is not news. However, new evidence suggests that vigorous exercise may reduce one's risk of heart disease and even cancer. Encouraging findings of this new study was presented during EuroEcho 2019, a conference of the European Society of Cardiology.
The Diabetic Amputee - Promote & Protect
Diabetes the leading cause of non-traumatic Lower Extremity Amputation (LEA) in the US with 60% of all non-traumatic LEA occurring in diabetics[1]. From this, it is clear that a majority of the patient a Physical Therapist will see for amputee rehab have diabetes. It is important to note that Diabetes is a systemic disease that negatively affecting every system of the body. The Physical Therapist must be aware of the potential impact diabetes has on their patient, on their rehabilitation, and on their mobility goals after LEA. Not only will the Physical Therapist need to promote mobility, they must also protect the patient’s contralateral limb during mobility training.
How to Take Charge at Work and in Life
Whether you are responsible for a team at work or a family at home, it's still important to take charge of how you show up in life, your relationships, and your career. After all, deciding how much effort you want to put in and how you show up everyday still falls on you.
MAPPING PHANTOM LIMB PAIN WITHIN THE BRAIN
For the first time, neuroscientists have recorded objective biomarkers of chronic pain from inside the brain of individuals suffering from phantom limb pain (PLP) and other forms of chronic pain.
disAbled Life Alliance Launches "Prosthesis for Every Limb" Initiative for Accessible and Affordable Prosthetic Devices
Boston, MA - April 11, 2023 -- disAbled Life Alliance, a public benefit corporation, has launched the Prosthesis for Every Limb Initiative. This new initiative focuses on providing access to prosthetic devices to amputees who lack access due to disparities in healthcare, insurance, access, and many other factors.
FOUR WAYS AI IS MAKING PROSTHETIC TECH SMARTER
Artificial intelligence is all over the news lately, and it’ll soon be all over the journal Prosthesis: The publication is soliciting papers for an upcoming special edition focused on “the latest research, technologies, and innovations in the field of AI-assisted prosthetics and rehabilitation.” That issue won’t be published for quite a while, though, and we’re impatient. So we did a quick survey of the scientific literature and scoured our own archives to sketch, in very broad strokes, a picture of the current frontiers in AI-enhanced prosthetic tech.
Processing Grief After Limb Loss
Many people cope with limb loss by pouring their energies into various endeavors—running marathons, sailing around the world, writing books, and other incredible feats. However, it’s also important to acknowledge the other side of the coin—some go through grief and depression after limb loss. If you are going through the latter, you are not alone.
Amputees Lost in the COVID-19 Shuffle
When the toes on his left foot turned black, Anthony Sambo knew what it meant. Three weeks earlier, in December 2020, the Filipino nurse caught what he assumed was a cold; the busy Chicago dialysis center where he worked had stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic since it is an essential service for patients with kidney failure. Two days after Sambo started coughing, he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Four of nine co-workers got it, too.
Worldwide Explosion in Bionic Hand Technology Continues
As our list of Current Options for Bionic Hands shows, we are currently covering 14 bionic hands that are either a) already available in western countries, or b) soon will be.
Johnson City Press: After Losing Leg, Area Man Looking To Provide Support, Resources For Other Amputees
Tom Carlson was on his way to work like any other day. Then later on his way to the doctor's office, he realized he would encounter a huge life changing experience. Hear his story by clicking below.
How To Tighten A Loose Prosthetic Socket
A loose prosthetic socket can create a whole host of issues that affect the function and comfort of your prosthesis. Symptoms of a loose socket are not limited to feeling pressure along a bone or increased lower back pain, among others.
Paralympian Who Had Both Of Her Legs Amputated Reveals She Was Accosted...
A Paralympic swimmer who had both of her legs amputated has revealed that a woman tried to shame her for parking in a handicapped spot because she didn't realize she was disabled — saying this happens to her all of the time.
OsseoIntegration For Bionic Limbs
Osseointegration for limbs involves inserting a metal rod into an arm or leg bone. The bone then fuses with the rod in a manner similar to fracture healing. The resulting implant offers numerous benefits but also introduces significant health risks.
5 Tips For Hiking
“Just because we’re missing a part, doesn’t mean we should miss out.” If you’ve watched any of my videos on Amputee Outdoors, you’ve probably heard me say that more than a few times. It’s true. With the advances in prosthetic technology that are available to us there is more and more we can be a part of. Think of each improvement in prosthetic technology as an expansion of what you can do. Hiking is one of those things that you should consider doing.
Moving Forward In Life After Losing A Limb
"You are not alone," is the slogan of the Amputee Outreach nonprofit Shelly Baxter-Wetmore started two years ago. As someone who recently went through an amputation, Shelly knows the struggle of life after losing her right leg.
Living With Amputation: ‘There’s A Lot Of Life Still Ahead’
Amputee starts support group
5 WAYS DISABILITY HAS MADE ME A BETTER PARENT
In 2011, I suffered a traumatic accident that landed me in and out of the hospital for the winter. Two years and 11 surgeries later, I ended up losing my leg below the knee.
What Motivates Individuals With Limb Loss to Be Physically Active?
We all know the benefits of being physically active. Individuals who clock in regular physical activity live longer and are protected from at least 25 chronic illnesses, including depression and cardiovascular disease. However, for people with limb loss, numerous barriers exist to engaging in physical activity, increasing their disease burden. So, researchers studied the common motivators to engage in leisure time physical activity among amputees.
FINANCIAL HELP FOR AMPUTEES DURING MOBILITY MAY
May is known as Mobility Awareness Month, but the actual subject is immobility. That’s what we’re raising awareness about—the fact that millions of amputees and other people with disabilities don’t enjoy the mobility they deserve because they can’t afford the prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, automobile modifications, and other technology they need.
Balance Exercises for Lower-Limb Amputees
Lower-limb prosthesis users can benefit greatly from regular exercise as it helps them become more mobile, steady, and strong. These qualities also help boost one's confidence and well-being.
Limb Loss, Grief, and Coping
Amputation of a limb, whether due to trauma or disease, can have major psychological impacts. It is not uncommon for someone who has lost a limb to experience grief. Although grief is often associated with the death of a loved one, it is a normal emotional reaction to the loss of anything or anyone that is important to you.
New Theory Sheds Light On Phantom Limb Pain
Phantom limb pain was first recorded some 400 years ago by French surgeon Ambroise Paré. At that time, he operated on wounded soldiers, many of whom complained of a mysterious pain in amputated limbs. Despite its long history, phantom limb pain remains poorly understood.
Negativity Bias: What It Is And How It Affects You
Have you ever gone through your day feeling good about multiple compliments or an accomplishment at work only for those feel-good emotions to be busted by a single criticism? This is an example of negativity bias at work.
When People Are Uncomfortable With Your Prosthetic Leg
Most people are used to offering their opinions without understanding what the situation is like for others. So, when we received a question from a reader about what to do when his wife told him not to take his leg off in public, the initial reaction was exasperation. How could this insensitive comment come from someone close to him?
Improve Your Health With The Fitness For Amputees App
Working out as a new below-the-knee (BK) amputee can be challenging. You're not sure what to expect from your prosthesis yet, and some moves can be difficult to modify for those days when you can’t tolerate your prosthesis. And there’s the added challenge of learning how to move correctly—without injuring yourself—with your new prosthesis.
CEO Ken Endo Outlines The New Vision For Xiborg And Reflects On How The Pandemic Has Influenced The Company’s Production Methods
The spread of COVID-19 has greatly restricted our movement and activities globally. In such a situation, platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft, Amazon, and other companies working on online conferencing, telework, and e-commerce have flexibly responded to people’s new lifestyles, and many new business models have been created.