Healthy Living for Amputees TheAmps War • amputees are: Some othergaitdeviationsthatare seeninleg which isnoteasy. to doitsjob, and notbendorlimptothesideinstead, out ofwhack,sotheyhave tolearnrely onthepelvis amputee, thenaturalmechanicsofbodyare thrown aligned whenwalking. When somebodybecomesaleg work; itnaturallymoves tokeepthebody sideways .Inartificial reality, theirpelvisshoulddothis inorderbodies sideways toputtheirweight over the When theylimp, theyare actuallybendingtheirupper amputation, willoftenhave somedegree ofalimp. those withhigherlevels of Leg amputees,particularly habits thatare, oncedeveloped, difficulttobreak. gait.” Many leg amputees have acquired badwalking have towork atwalkingproperly, orhavinga“good by doctors,physicaltherapistsandprosthetists thatthey years, legamputeeshave beentoldtimeandagain isincontactwiththefloororground. Over the per centofthegaitcycle isinstancephasewhenthe floor orground andswingingthrough, whileabout60 the legisinswingphaseorwhenfootoff that about40percentofaperson’s gaitcycle iswhen MenschGertrude andPatricia M.Ellis, itisindicated Management ofLower Extremity Amputations W  socket brimor fearoftheprosthetic kneebuckling. balance, pinchingoftheresidual limbby theinside to thesideofbodyand maybecausedby poor Abducted gait manner ofwalking.In hen we refer togait,we simplymeanaperson’s –theprosthetic legisswungout Physical Therapy by by

For • • • The Stance Phase:    . ofthe step lengthsorproblems likeosteoarthritis , notusingthekneeproperly, unequal caused by aninabilitytomanagetheweight ofthe the prosthetic footclearstheground, itmaybe hiking uponthetoesofsoundfoottoensure Hip hiking perception, fearoffallingorresidual limbpain. on theprosthesis, itmaybecausedfrom lackof sound limbresulting inlesstimebearingweight take alongerstepwiththeprosthesis thanthe Uneven steplength poor leverage orafearoffalling. residualshort limbskeepingthekneestiffdue to Stiff-legged midstance Y our Information –keepingtheprosthetic kneestiffand –causedwhenamputees –causedby amputeeswith The Swing Phase: Fax: 1 855 860-5595 855 1 Fax: Tel.: 1877 622-2472 midswing Why is it so important to walk well – to have good gait? The answer is simple: walking well actually minimizes Back Problems (Scoliosis) the additional stresses put on the body. Amputees automatically use more energy to walk. With poor gait Leg amputees should have their backs (e.g., limp), the amputee puts stress on the residual regularly checked by their doctors, as limb, the sound limb and other body parts like the problems like scoliosis can develop due to trunk and back, thus using more energy to walk because the continued imbalance of walking patterns he/she has to work harder to bring the body back into like limping. It is also important that the balance and alignment. The article “Understanding Gait prosthetist check the height of the artificial Deviations” in O&P Business News (December 2006) limb to make sure it is correct, as wearing states “Many lower limb amputees take on pathological a leg that is too high or too short can cause gait patterns where certain movement deviations back and spine problems that over time might substitute for those that the amputee cannot perform. require extensive therapy to remedy. Scoliosis Jacqueline Perry, MD, said in her book Gait Analysis: can lead to discomfort, pain and other Normal and Pathological Function, these compensations problems, so it is important for your doctor cause energy cost to increase and often compromise to monitor your back and to deal with any function. problems that may arise. Generally, the back muscles work harder to enable the amputee to To enable the to do its job in gait, amputees use an artificial limb or to compensate for a need to build up the muscles of the and missing limb. Therefore, simple back exercises with specific exercises. Initially, the idea of an can improve an amputee’s comfort and ability exercise program may seem daunting, but just a little to function, and prevent future problems. effort will result in a better gait down the road. Paying Again, you should consult your doctor before close attention to the advice of physical therapists and starting a new exercise program. prosthetists in this area will facilitate proper walking techniques, and reduce the likelihood of poor walking habits. A comfortably fitting socket, a properly aligned artificial leg and proper training are, of course, imperative. A suggestion to help develop a good gait, or to break bad habits, is to walk in front of a mirror. You will see how it feels when you do walk properly and you can then duplicate it on a regular basis. Or, you can videotape yourself walking to determine how you are doing. Your physical therapist, prosthetist and others on your “team” can offer advice and suggestions on exercises and any gait training programs that might be available to you. Always, of course, consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

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