Prosthetic sleeves and liners are essential tools if you use a prosthetic device. They’re easy to apply, provide great suspension, and, if they fit well, will make your prosthetic device feel light and comfortable.

Without proper maintenance, your prosthetic liners and sleeves can become brittle and start to crack. Also, they start to smell if not cleaned properly and regularly, and will eventually fall apart. Here are some essential tips to maintaining your prosthetic tools!

Avoid Animal-Based Skin Care Products

Any products containing animal fats, animal oils, or hydrocarbon oils will eventually break down your gel liners and prosthetic sleeves. Check your soaps, creams, lotions, sunscreens, and any other skin care product you use on your body—and find replacements if you find that they’re animal-based.

Socket Fit

Air pockets or general looseness inside your liner will result in gel delamination. When your liner moves around more than usual, it will eventually break down. You’ll notice discoloration on the outside fabric, and eventually the inside gel will begin to thin out and tear.

Looseness affects prosthetic liners even more when you use a locking system, because excess movement near the bottom of the pin will make the umbrella (device that holds the pin) fall off from the liner.

Cleaning

The purpose of a good cleanser is to remove sweat and grime, with no extra chemicals or ingredients that could irritate your skin. Make sure you get a pH balanced cleanser to avoid irritation. Anything gentle, like a small amount of baby shampoo, can get the job done. When you go to clean your liners, use your hands and wash the gel and fabric until it lathers. When rinsing, make sure no residue is left behind. Avoid scrubbing too hard, because this could damage your liners over time.

Prosthetic Wipes

These are great for keeping your prosthetic device clean on the go! They remove dead skin and prevent dirt and grime from accumulating. They will also keep your prosthetic from smelling! Make sure you find wipes that are pH balanced and alcohol-free so your skin won’t dry out. Avoid anything with bleach—instead, opt for wipes with tea tree oil.

Use a Drying Stand

Whether it’s professionally made or a DIY project, you should be using a drying stand to keep your liners sturdy and shaped correctly. Without them, they can get distorted or misshapen.

Avoid Heat

Being exposed to high temperatures can actually melt the gel in your liners, so avoid heat at all costs!

Making sure these things are taken care of doesn’t take much time but will go a long way in making sure your prosthetic device lasts and serves you longer!

For more advice, information, and support, contact Biotech today!

 

Rehabilitation after an amputation can feel daunting, but it’s absolutely crucial to adapting to life without a limb. Here’s everything you need to expect immediately following your surgery and onward.

Meet Your Team

Your successful rehabilitation depends on the combined efforts of many people—you aren’t alone. Ideally, you’ll have a large team behind you. This team will include key family members, friends, your physician, your prosthetist and their support staff, your physical therapist, your occupational therapist, and your psychologist. The exact size of your team will depend on your personal preferences, your finances, and many other things.

While the outcome is mainly up to you and your effort, the expertise and guidance of each person on your support time is crucial.

Early Stages

Ideally, you’ll see your physical therapist within the first 24 hours following your surgery. This may seem quick, but you’ve just had a major life change, and you’ll need help doing basic things at the beginning. Your therapist will help you get positioned in bed, move from the bed to your wheelchair and back, balance while standing, use crutches, use your wheelchair, or use your new upper extremity assistive device.

A big part of this early start is pain management. Your physical therapist will teach you how to promote healthy healing in your residual limb and how to wrap it up to reduce swelling. While in the hospital, and long after your release, your physical therapy will consist of dynamic exercises that condition and strengthen your residual limb.

Your therapist will also help you through specific exercises tailored to your amputation. They may design exercises that work your hip, back, abdomen, or knee if you’ve had a lower body amputation. Or they may have you doing exercises to strengthen your upper back, shoulder, upper arm, and elbow if you had an arm amputated.

One of the most important reasons to start physical therapy right away is the psychological advantage it will give you. Spending days or even weeks immobilized can encourage you to only focus on your loss, which can easily cause you to start feeling hopeless, and you may have a hard time finding motivation later. Being able to immediately focus on what you can control will do wonders for your outlook and your attitude towards rehabilitation.

Physical therapy will also give you and your therapist the opportunity to closely monitor your healing residual limb. Even minor scratches or abrasions on it can lead to pain, infection, and significant delays in your recovery progress. Your therapist will teach you the rules of hygiene, like cleaning the socket, determining the best ply of prosthetic sock, managing perspiration, and much more.

Lower Extremity Users

For lower extremity users, the primary focus will be on sitting or lying exercises, and eventually standing exercises aimed at reorienting your center of gravity. Weight shifting exercises between parallel bars will help you learn to displace your center of gravity forward, backward, and sideways. These exercises will eventually phase into practicing bearing weight on your prosthesis and will prepare you for the weight shifting that naturally occurs when you’re walking. Of course, your physical therapist will teach you how to put on and take off your prosthetic device, and you’ll practice that quite a bit.

The next step in your rehabilitation will be gait training. Your therapist will do a lot of hands-on positioning and resistive techniques as you start walking again. Your physical therapist and your prosthetist should be working together throughout this entire process, to monitor your progress. You’ll continue to work on strengthening exercises, and especially on specific daily living activities. This will include things like getting dressed, using the bathroom, standing up and sitting down, carrying things, getting in and out of a car, driving, etc.

Upper Extremity Users

The early stages of physical or occupational therapy for the upper extremity focus on maintaining or increasing the mobility of your joints. Strengthening exercises will also be very important at this stage, as well as pain management. Your physical therapist will employ various methods of helping you with any pain you may be feeling, including ultrasound, massage, electrical neural stimulation, acupressure, acupuncture, and resistive exercise.

Much like lower extremity physical therapy, your therapist will help you practice using your sound hand for daily activities like eating, grooming, using the bathroom, writing, picking up objects, etc. They’ll help you learn to use your teeth to assist with some tasks, as well as other methods of making daily activities easier. Also like lower extremity physical therapy, the first goal of your course will be teaching you to put on and take off your new prosthesis—from then on, the focus will be on using the device. How your training proceeds after this point depends largely on whether you have a body-powered or an externally powered device.

Long Term

It’s important to realize that physical therapy is not just for new amputees or new prosthetic users—for optimum mobility and comfort, you should be evaluated by a physical therapist every year or two for the rest of your life. Your physical therapist can pinpoint problems that you don’t notice, problems that if left untreated can lead to back problems or pain elsewhere in your body. It’s been proven that people who continue going to therapy operate much better with their prosthesis and are better walkers and movers overall. People who don’t continue therapy will see a gradual decline in their abilities.

For expert advice, support, and more information, contact Biotech today and discover your possibilities!

In the field of competition, every successful team has a plan that keeps in mind various contingencies from unexpected injuries to the untimely bounce of the ball, so they can emerge victorious even against the toughest opponents.

For those experiencing the loss of a limb, having a game plan for amputee rehabilitation can usher in the process of a new beginning in life.

Before embarking on a successful journey, there are two primary keys to victory are critical regarding successful amputee rehabilitation.

Amputee Rehabilitation Support Team

No successful game plan can be executed without a team acting as one, and it is no different for those undergoing amputee rehabilitations.

Going through an amputation can be a challenging process physically and emotionally but having a loyal group of supporters can make a big difference. The patient’s support team can include anyone from family, friends, a personal physician, and a prosthetist to a physical therapist.

One of the most crucial components of your support team is the physical therapist.

Across America, just a small number of physical therapists specialize in amputee rehabilitation. This is where the patient’s support group along with the services of local hospitals and therapy clinics can greatly assist the patient in deciding which physical therapist is a great fit for them.

Top Notch Physical Therapy

Just as an athletic team needs talented players to win big, a highly talented and capable physical therapist is essential to championship level amputee rehabilitation.

Although the goal of every physical therapist is to provide the best possible care while doing the least amount of harm and getting the patient to function at full capacity, a highly skilled physical therapist can be the difference maker in elevating the level of care for the patient.

A physical therapist can assist the amputee with various aspects of rehabilitation including getting in and out of bed, using a wheelchair, managing pain and preparing the amputee’s body for the use of a prosthesis.

High quality care from a physical therapist can boost the morale of the amputee and provide an important puzzle piece to coming out victorious in amputee rehabilitation.

BioTech designs and manufactures prosthetic limbs for people suffering from limb loss. We treat every patient with compassion and respect, and work hard to deliver superior service and prosthetic devices that change lives. Recognize your possibilities. Contact us today for more information.

A child’s first prosthesis is a big milestone in their life. There’s a lot that comes with it: learning how to master something that may be difficult at first; the emotional turmoil that may come with having to wear a prosthesis; the response your child will get from others.

Parents can really help their children in these times to better cope with their prosthetic device and learn how to wear one well – both physically and emotionally.

Here are things you should cover with your child to help them adjust to the idea of wearing a prosthesis moving forward.

Teach Them Basic Care

A child can better cope with wearing a prosthesis if they are taught how to care for it. Indeed, learning to care for a prosthetic device can make the child more accepting of it – especially for younger children.

Basic care includes cleaning the liner, when and where to remove the prosthesis, how to keep the device away from water, sunscreen, bug spray, and other substances that may harm it, and the importance of resting their residual limb as needed.

For older children, you can also teach them sock management, which helps them get more acquainted with the routine they’ll develop to care for the device.

Talk Honestly With Them

A lot of honest conversations are necessary if your child is going to adjust in a healthy way.

The younger the child, the more accepting they will generally be toward the device. Very young children, such as toddlers, may be more curious than anything. You should still speak only positively about the device to them, and don’t treat them as different. They will, after all, follow your lead with how to deal with the device just like they do on everything else.

For school-age children, how other children respond to the device will be a big concern. You can’t control what other kids say or do, but you can help your child deal with all types of responses, and maintain positive self-esteem in the process. Let them know that other kids may not approve, but that speaks more to their character than the character of your child.

For teens, body image issues will usually emerge. Speak honestly about them and the insecurity they may feel. Let them vent their concerns, and listen to them without trying to change their mind. Help them come to terms with the prosthesis as a new part of their lifestyle and positively reinforce them at all times.

Get Them In Touch with Others in the Limb Loss Community

Community is such an important part of adapting to any major life change, such as limb loss.

There are others out there just like your child who have gone through a wide gamut of experiences. Their insight – and friendship – will be invaluable to your child. It can be something as simple as letting your toddler or young child play with other amputees. For older children, getting them in touch with peers or older mentors will be a major boon.

Life isn’t over when you lose a limb, and that’s a key message you’ll need to impart to your child. Follow these steps and your child will be better for it.

BioTech designs and manufactures prosthetic devices for people suffering from limb loss. We treat every patient with compassion and respect, and work hard to deliver superior service and prosthetic devices that change lives. Recognize your possibilities. Contact us today for more information.

We’re in the thick of sports season, and from now through the end of spring, our kids will be hitting the fields and courts in full force.

If one of your children wears a prosthesis, playing sports brings additional challenges beyond the typical ones facing amputees with an artificial limb. But with a few tips, your athlete can take care of his or her prosthesis and perform like a champ.

Keep the Prosthesis Clean and Dry

Sports and moisture have a long relationship. Sometimes you’re caught out in the open on the field during a downpour. And no matter what the weather, playing sports always delivers another type of moisture: sweat.

It’s important that your child keep their prosthesis clean and dry. You don’t want bacteria to spread, and you want the integrity of the prosthesis and everything that goes with it to stay strong.

Keep the external surfaces of the prosthesis dry. Be sure to clean the inner components, like socks and liners, after every event. Use warm water and soap, and finish by spraying it down with an alcohol-based cleaner.

If your child gets into the habit of cleaning his or her prosthesis after practice, exercise, or a game, it’ll be a lot easier to care for the artificial limb.

Inspect the Prosthesis after Every Outing

Sports can be rough. A prosthesis is vulnerable to sudden contact as well as the usual wear and tear of being worn, which is accelerated during a rough-and-tumble event.

Make sure your child inspects their prosthesis after every practice or game. Look for loose or warped components. Be vigilant for any motor function that appears sluggish, such as if a joint isn’t allowing full movement. Check for cracks, too, and listen carefully for any unusual noise.

If something abnormal appears, tell your prosthetist so it can be checked out and repaired if necessary.

Care for the Residual Limb

Caring for a prosthesis doesn’t extend to just the device itself; it also means taking care of the residual limb.

Playing sports puts a lot of pressure on the residual limb and causes friction and contact between it and the prosthesis in new ways beyond what you get just by walking. This friction can cause irritation that can easily result in sores and blisters if you’re not careful.

Talk to your prosthetist about lotions and gels that may be appropriate to reduce this friction. And wash the residual limb with antibacterial soap after every session or game. You don’t want your athlete to get an infection.

Follow these tips and your child will be playing like a champion all throughout the season.

BioTech designs and manufactures prosthetic limbs for people suffering from limb loss. We treat every patient with compassion and respect, and work hard to deliver superior service and prosthetic devices that change lives. Recognize your possibilities. Contact us today for more information.

Double leg amputees often feel like they can’t live a normal life after their surgeries.

But with today’s technology, these amputees can live a full life – which includes exercising.

Exercising has a ton of benefits for amputees. Some of these benefits – a stronger heart, more energy, a higher metabolism – are the same for everybody. But for amputees, it’s also very important to build up muscular strength in your residual limbs and core to help you move around normally.

Here are two ways for double leg amputees to build up strength and increase mobility – while also dealing with pain and other negative emotions.

Use Resistance Bands to Get Started

You don’t have to jump right into a full-scale workout to start seeing progress.

If you’re a beginner, start with resistance bands. Begin with one leg and alternate with the other as you use the resistance bands to steadily push and pull on your leg muscles, which will strengthen them.

Place more attention on your weaker limb, because it’ll need more exercise to get it to the level of your stronger limb.

This PDF from the Amputee Coalition provides examples of exercises you can do with a resistance band. Even the exercises that don’t use bands can easily be turned into resistance band exercises.

Resistance bands aren’t just for beginners, though; you can get a good workout by using progressively stronger bands as you work your way up.

Try Yoga as a Way to Stay Fit and Focused

Yoga is a great form of exercise that has a lot of benefits for the body – and mind. Doing yoga can help you feel more relaxed and focused while also developing your body – and it’s something you can do, even with double-leg amputation.

One yoga provider created a handy PDF for how leg amputees can do yoga to build up their bodies.

You can also use yoga as a form of pain management. Studies have shown that doing yoga strengthens the size of the insula and the prefrontal lobe in your brain, which creates a strong connection between emotions and cognitive thoughts. This means that as you focus your mind during yoga, you’re actually helping the brain become less sensitive to pain and the emotions that come with it.

BioTech designs and manufactures prosthetic limbs for people suffering from limb loss. We treat every patient with compassion and respect, and work hard to deliver superior service and prosthetic devices that change lives. Recognize your possibilities. Contact us today for more information.

If you’re new to limb loss, you probably have a lot of questions, concerns, uncertainties, and doubts. That’s normal – it’s a tough thing to get used to, one that’ll take time and effort.

We’ve worked with countless patients who have come to us after limb loss frustrated, dejected, and confused. Over the years, we’ve amassed a lot of knowledge and guidance that has helped our patients make the big adjustment and go on to live normal lives.

Here are four tips that can help you move forward, both practically and mentally.

How Do I Choose a Prosthetic Provider?

Your prosthetic device will be one of the most important things to helping you recover and get back to normal. It has to fit right, function well, and be a good match for you. The same goes for the people who make it.

A prosthetic provider, ideally, is someone who makes you feel comfortable and at ease. You’ll need to build a relationship with your prosthetist, so it makes sense to look for a place where you feel at home.

You’ll also want the best technology and the best outcomes. Ask about their devices and how they make them. Talk to previous and current patients to learn from their experiences.

Your prosthesis won’t be a good fit unless your prosthetist is a good fit.

Adapting to Wearing a Prosthesis

A lot of our patients have difficulty with envisioning how it’ll be to wear a prosthesis. It can be overwhelming, but in reality, adapting is easier than you think, with the right guidance.

One issue that comes up involves pain and discomfort. Our patients frequently ask us if wearing a prosthesis will hurt. The answer is simple: no, it shouldn’t, not if it’s designed the right way! Your body will change and adjust over time, and we’ll have to adjust your device to match, but you shouldn’t feel pain when wearing your prosthesis.

You may need rehab or physical therapy to get used to your prosthesis, especially if it’s an artificial leg, but practice makes perfect. All you have to do is work with your prosthetist and follow his or her instructions and keep at it. You will get used to it with a bit of time and patience.

There are also exercises and training you can do to strengthen your body and practice the mechanics of moving around with your prosthesis that can really help.

Coping with Phantom Limb Pain

As an amputee, you may experience phantom limb pain, which is pain or other sensations coming from where the brain thinks your limb used to be. Even though the limb isn’t there, the brain still processes signals from the body that it often interprets as pain.

Phantom limb pain can range from uncomfortable to very unpleasant. There’s no way to predict how severe it will be or when it will occur. Sometimes it lasts for a few seconds, other times it lasts for significantly longer.

Fortunately, you can treat it. There are ways to help patients cope with phantom limb pain that include everything from deep brain stimulation to non-opiate analgesics for pain management.

Read this post on phantom limb pain to learn more about these methods and what you can do.

Adjusting Is All About Learning

We won’t tell you that as an amputee, you can do anything you put your mind to, just like a person with all of his limbs. That’s not true – you will have to adjust, and there will be things that are more difficult for an amputee to do.

But that’s okay, because as you get practice and experience, you can learn ways to do just about anything you want.

Living after limb loss is about finding ways to do things you want to do with whatever works, while understanding that you don’t have to do things like you used to be able to do. It’s healthy to say to yourself, “This will be hard at times and I’m going to have to be a bit creative, but I can figure it out.”

Whether it’s getting in and out of the shower or carrying a load in your arms while walking on your prosthetic leg, you’ll eventually develop systems and habits to function and get around. You’ll train your brain and your body at the same time, and you’ll learn – and with learning comes a more normal life.

Don’t think you have to be the same as a “normal” person. You just have to be you and do things your way. Take pride in being different and in solving puzzles that other people don’t have to face. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that other people will never understand.

Life doesn’t end at limb loss – it’s just beginning. Talk to us about getting a prosthetic device and taking the first steps forward in the newest part of your journey.

Those who have experienced limb loss have a lot to learn when it comes to living a full, functional life. One of the things that many amputees have to adjust to is sock management – i.e. using socks to control and adjust the fit of their device for maximum comfort and function.

As you’ll see, sock management isn’t always intuitive. But it’s key to being as comfortable as possible with a prosthetic device.

Why Is Sock Management Important?

When people wear below the knee prostheses, they wear socks of different thicknesses, which we call plys. For one recent patient of ours, for example, we gave him 1-ply, 3-ply, and 5-ply socks. A 5-ply sock is five times thicker than a 1-ply sock. So, if you’re wearing five 1-ply socks, it’s the same as wearing one 5-ply sock.

When a patient with a below the knee prosthesis takes the leg off at night, and when they lay in their bed in a horizontal position, their body fluid goes all throughout their body and their legs swell up a little bit. When they put their weight on the prosthesis, they’re pushing body fluid up and out of the limb, which means the residual limb shrinks throughout the day.

How Sock Management Can Be Counter-Intuitive

How we adjust socks to fit our limbs and prostheses isn’t as straightforward as you’d think.

When something feels tighter, we normally think we should remove a layer. If you were wearing two socks in your shoes, for example, and your shoes felt tight, common sense would tell you to take off a layer.

But with limb loss, it’s different. Since that residual limb is smaller during the day, it’s pressing deeper into the socket as pressure is applied to it. That is what makes the socket feel tighter.

So, the solution is to add another layer to provide a buffer, which is done by adding another sock or going up to a higher ply sock.

It’s counter-intuitive, but it’s a very important piece of information for any person with limb loss.

Practice Makes Perfect

Through practice, you’ll learn how to listen to your body and adjust as needed. You’ll become more familiar with the patterns of your body and how your prosthesis fits throughout the day, and you’ll get better at sock management to make sure you’re comfortable all day long.

We recently had a patient named Mr. Nall. Mr. Nall is a double amputee with two below the knee prostheses. One of the things he has learned is how to manage fit through his socks. We gave him 1, 3, and 5-ply socks and taught him how to listen to his body. As a result, he’s walking better and experiencing more comfort, too.

Now, Mr. Nall can go to his beloved Miles College and watch the Golden Bears play while walking up and down the stands in comfort – thanks to sock management.

At BioTech, we help our patients learn sock management as a part of our service to them as valued patients. If you have a question about sock management, or anything to do with getting a prosthetic device, contact us – we’d love to help.

Living with limb loss can be challenging, but in today’s world, there’s a wealth of resources to make life easier and more productive for amputees.

This includes technology that helps you make the most of your prosthesis and create possibilities. Ottobock, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of prostheses, designed its Fitness for Amputees app (available in iTunes or Google Play) for people who want to keep in shape with a prosthetic device.

We downloaded the fitness app and decided to create a review of the app for our patients and others who are dealing with limb loss and want help staying in peak condition.

Overview

Fitness for Amputees was developed by therapists working with Ottobock and is designed primarily for lower limb amputees. The app is cleanly designed and easy to navigate, and consists of three modules:

• Strength and endurance
• Coordination and balance
• Stretch and relax

Each module contains exercises that were designed by physical therapists to develop each of those areas. And each module can be scaled up or down in difficulty.

When you select an area to work on, the app will take you through a series of exercises that range in duration and intensity. You can use their recommended settings or create your own.

The result is a fairly customizable program tailored to your personal preferences.

Key Features

The Fitness for Amputees app has several key features, including:

• 3 different types of exercises
• Customizable, individual programs
• User data that tracks statistics
• Four exercises per exercise area

As far as the exercises go, each of them is recommended and a good thing to do, but there’s not a lot of variety because each area only has four. However, it’s a great place to start, and for many users, four is enough to create a solid program.

User Interface

The user interface is clean, easy to navigate, and easy to use. The text is easy to read, and the app does a good job of explaining what to do, with sample videos for each exercise (plus music to go along with the timer):

Overall, the layout is simple yet elegant and user-friendly as well.

Should You Use It?

There are a few minor things we’d recommend to improve it, namely more diversity in exercises and just more exercises period, but overall, Ottobock’s Fitness for Amputees app is a winner. If you’re looking to build up strength, increase balance, or just stretch your muscles, the app is an easy way to go about it and is a terrific intro into more complicated or advanced physical therapy regimens you may participate in down the road.

Download the Fitness for Amputees App Here

BioTech Limb and Brace makes prosthetic and orthotic devices that take advantage of cutting-edge technology to put smiles on peoples’ faces. Learn more about our personable approach and how we help patients and their families thrive.

Maintaining a proper diet is important for everyone, but for those who’ve experienced limb loss, it’s truly life changing. Not only does a healthy diet make gait training and other challenges easier, but eating poorly can create life-threatening problems. However, staying healthy is easier said than done, and finding the right foods for the body can be difficult. Let’s discuss some recommended methods of keeping a healthy diet after limb loss.

Food

First and foremost, stay away from fast and unhealthy foods. While this sounds like obvious advice, it’s a challenge for many of us! Next, add some variety to your plate – and make it a balanced meal. Make it a goal for half of your plate to be fruits and vegetables, a quarter protein, and a quarter starches. Remember, protein doesn’t have to be meat. Beans and lentils are among the many replacements you can use.

There are also specific foods that improve the wound-healing process. This includes protein, carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and certain vitamins and minerals. These allow you to receive the necessary nutrients for a much more efficient healing process.

Portions

An important truth to face after limb loss is that your calorie intake will change. This means that your portions will need to be smaller, and snacking will have to be reduced. There will also need to be a focus on reducing the amount of food eaten due to stress, boredom, anger, and other stimuli. Eating slowly gives your body time to tell you it’s full, so take your time and enjoy your meal. It’s better to be comfortably full then overly stuffed.

Planning

Preparing healthy meals is very important for continuing positive progress with your diet. Not having to make a meal every time you’re hungry eliminates one of the biggest obstacles of improved eating! Whenever you cook, make more than you need and freeze some for future dinners. We all get tired after work, and having an easy option ready to go gets rid of the unhealthy temptation to order fast food.

BioTech Can Help

Our years of experience have allowed us to see what works best for those with limb loss. We are experts in everything from diet to exercise, and much more! Make sure you’re getting the most out of your prosthetic experience, and let the BioTech team provide the best path to a long and healthy life. Contact us today for more information.