Modern prosthetics unlock the power of mobility for thousands of people each year. Making the most of your prosthetics will depend heavily on how well you are trained in prosthetics mobility and the care and maintenance of your prosthetic. So, what are common prosthetic issues? Let’s look at a few of these issues and solutions.
Sock Management
One of the first things you will learn about when you are fitted for your prosthetic will be effective sock management. Although your prosthetists will provide you with a great deal of training and information, ultimately sock management will come down to your own personal preferences and intuition. You will need to monitor how you feel throughout the day and during certain activities, to help you learn how to judge when you need to add socks or remove socks. Take the time to get in tune with your body and note when the swelling starts to take place. Some days will be different from others, so be sure that you are always prepared to add socks when needed.
Personal Hygiene
Your own personal hygiene will play an important role in your limb health and the usefulness of the prosthetic. The interface must be cleaned on a daily basis. When this is overlooked, it can cause many challenges. Many people believe they are having increased pain issues or other health concerns with their prosthetic when these issues can be resolved with a more aggressive hygiene routine.
Diet and Physical Conditioning
One of the most overlooked aspects of prosthetic management is personal diet and physical conditioning. When you receive your prosthetic, your life has changed dramatically and permanently. In order to achieve successful mobility, you must accept the fact that new rules apply to your health and physical activity. You must make the necessary changes to ensure that you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, it will make prosthetic mobility very difficult.
You will need to watch your diet carefully and you will need to follow the strength training exercises you were given precisely. All of these factors will work together to make you stronger and more mobile.
Physical Therapy
Prosthetic mobility success will be heavily dependent on your commitment to physical therapy. Those who commit succeed. Those who do not commit face a multitude of challenges. Even if you believe you do not need physical therapy, go to physical therapy. If the physical therapist also judges that you need minimal therapy, then you will reach your goals more quickly, but you should let the professional decide that. A physical therapist will know how hard to push you and when to stop.