Amputee Rehabilitation Essay

Amputation is a major blow to anyone, both physically and psychologically. To help a person deal with the loss of a limb a team of trained professionals is engaged - a doctor, a prosthetist, a psychologist, and nurses. To rehabilitate an amputee, a physiotherapist is also required.

When a person is adjusting to life without a limb, a physiotherapist is almost indispensable in the patient's healing process. An amputee has to deal with several physical and physiological issues the. Among these are phantom pains, which are painful sensations that seem to emanate from the limb that has already been removed, as if it still exists. These are nervous responses and require physiotherapy to overcome and treat it.

A prosthetic limb is a must-have for most amputees. Though it is a common notion that learning how to wear it is enough, most don't realize how difficult it can be to adjust to an alien appendage. There are many amputees who have been wearing prosthetic limbs for years, but can still not function normally. Such situations only underline the need for amputee rehabilitation.
Therapy allows a person to get used to the new limb. The routine followed by the patient for this adaptation depends on individual needs and abilities.

Often amputees lose their sense of balance and have to be taught how to walk or stand without support. This is seen more often in the case of a leg or foot amputation. That, however, does not mean that a person who loses an arm will not have a problem with his balance. The redistribution of weight due to the loss of an arm can also result in balancing problems for the amputee.

Many amputees do not realize that it is possible to completely mask a limp, even with the use of a prosthetic limb, if the person learns to walk in the best suitable manner. Physiotherapist are able to train amputees during the rehabilitation program and once this limp is camouflaged, the battle is half