There are a lot of activities out there that you as a prosthetic user shouldn’t feel limited in doing, just because your prosthetic limbs don’t allow it. Did you know that we as prosthetists can design and manufacture limbs especially for you to take part in these activities? Gone are the days where you have to sit back and miss out on all the fun! Some of the activities when having a specialised prosthesis would be useful include:
GOING TO THE BEACH
Some people avoid the beach all together, because in the past sand and sea water haven’t gone well with prosthetic limbs, but now days there are a lot of components that have been rated as waterproof, and can make walking to/from the beach and enjoying the water with friends and family possible.
CAMPING/SHOWERING WITHOUT DISABLED BATHROOM FACILITIES
Clients have commented that having a waterproof prosthesis opens up a lot of opportunities when traveling or camping, when you don’t have to be restricted to hotel rooms or cabins with disable shower facilities. Having a prosthetic leg that you can wear in the shower makes this so much easier.
SWIMMING
If you want to improve your fitness in the pool, a specialised swimming arm or leg can help you build strength and technique while you swim laps.
RUNNING
Perhaps running is more your way of keeping up your cardio fitness, so a specially design running leg can be made, purely made for running and running and running!
CYCLING
Historically, prosthetic legs have used shoes with cleat attachments in them, on their prosthetic foot, however direct attachment of the cleat to the prosthetic leg has been preferred by some cyclists, as it allows a more direct transfer of power when peddling. And for prosthetic arms, there are ways to attach directly to the handle bars, to help control the bike when riding, but with a quick release function, in the case of the rider coming off the bike.
GYM
There are plenty of terminal devices for prosthetic arms that can be used for working out at the gym, which help hold on to weights and bars like this type of attachment. I Am Adaptive is an organisation that has a facebook page that posts pictures and videos of prosthetic users of all shapes and sizes coming up with creative ways of working out. There are some amazing ways to achieve results from people out there, so it is well worth a look.
PROSTHETIC DESIGN
The way your prosthesis looks is up to you. There are endless ways to make your sockets colourful, as well as covers for your limb to help tie in your individual image of yourself with your limb. These days, we as Prosthetists can incorporate pretty much any design into your socket and limb, so if you have an idea of how you want your prosthetic limb to look, share them with your Prosthetist.
