Beach Amputee

In Florida a common saying is 'Life's a beach'. I constantly see 'Salt Life' stickers on peoples back windshields. Florida has the longest coast line of any state. We love our beaches. Already this year I have done my share of visiting the beach, kayaking, running/walking at or near the beach and riding my bike along the Gulf Coast areas. I am just getting warmed up as summer is about to kick in full force soon.

So I wanted to do a post about prosthetic care in and around water. The salt water is harsh on everything here. So I wanted to give a few tips on dealing with beach conditions as an amputee.

From my prior experience and research one thing is very clear. Just about all prosthetist advise against wearing your prosthesis into the ocean. Most admitted that being in Florida makes this an almost impossible task, with at least some of their patients. So of course my next question was, "What advice would you give to someone that insist on going into the water?" I got a wide range of answers, but went with the ones that seemed to be most agreed upon. I hope you read on and hopefully take some of this advice into account...Even if it is with a grain of salt. (Yeah pretty cheesy I know 0_o)

Beach Amputee Advice Tip 1:
Wear an old leg if you have it. - This is by far the best advice. No matter what you do your prosthesis is likely going to suffer some damage from the salt water. My socket, bolts, foot and locking mechanism all have endured varying degrees of damage from ocean water. With the right care you can limit the damage quite a bit.

Beach Amputee Tip 2:
Spray your leg down down with a lubricant prior to entering the water to help protect it. - Wiping down your prosthesis with a coat of lube can go a long way, especially if you are just wading out a little ways. There are many different types of products on the market. Please be advised that some products may contain chemicals that can damage some of your prosthetic components/parts. My understanding is that many silicone based products can do damage to your shoe shell. One semi-affordable product I have seen that is made primarily for metal protection is AMSOIL . The stuff runs a little over $7 a bottle. I personally have never used any of these products, but I usually follow Tip #1 and wear an old leg, so damage doesn't make as much a difference to me. I do know that if I only had one leg I would probably do this. I'm a bit of an environment freak at times...oil spray in the water??? I suppose a light coat, if it helps protect your leg would probably be worth it? There are some green products out there. One company called Ecoline offers a wide array of 'eco-friendly' lubricant products.

Beach Amputee Tip 3:
Wading out into the water above waist level is ill advised. I have broken this tip before myself. What I will say is that a prosthesis is pretty useless at this point. Almost any type of artificial limb will become loose once totally submerged.(except of course ones made specifically for water). Once the water works its way into the barrier between you and the device most prosthetics start to really flop around and become unmanageable. My leg tends to take on water in the pylon, socket and shoe shell causing a lot of drag and weight. This is the same reason I do not swim with a prosthesis.

If you are an above the knee amputee, wading any higher than your mechanical knee is really frowned upon by most prosthetist. My thought is you would probably be better off with just a straight leg without a knee joint? My understanding is the knee isn't going to work real well submerged and the salt water will damage those moving parts.

If going way out the ideal situation is to leave the leg behind. One method is once you are out close to waist level have someone available to hand your leg to for safe keeping. When you get out of the water have them bring it to you. This isn't always an option. I have left or thrown my leg just past where the tide is so I can get to it after leaving the water before. So long as it is still there when you get out. :)

Beach Amputee Tip 4:
Clean your prosthesis with fresh water after a day at the beach. Paul Weott, the head prosthetist at OPC, advised me that cleaning with fresh, warm (or even hot) soapy water was the best. This is the most critical part of the whole ordeal. How well you clean your leg is going to affect it's life. I would advise breaking down (yeah all the prosthetist are wincing right now) the leg as much as possible and cleaning it as well as you can. This is going to vary a lot from person to person due to their mechanical skills. The main point is that you should clean your leg as best as you can.

Of course, once finished cleaning the leg it needs to dry. The best method is to air dry the device in a well ventilated area that receives indirect sunlight. If you have to wear the leg right away you have to do what you can to dry it. Towels and a hair dryer may be useful?

Beach Amputee Tip 5:
Visit your prosthetist before and after your beach visit. If you have only one leg I beg you to take this advice. It would be a shame to damage your main means of getting around, especially when it's avoidable. A lot of prosthetist can help you prepare for an outdoor trip. An O&P practitioner will have a full array of ideals to assist you. A prosthetist has expert knowledge on how to best maintain you prosthesis.

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There is no reason why a person should not be able to get out have some fun this summer. After all the whole point of having a prosthesis is to try and have a more independent lifestyle. With the proper preparation a day of fishing, kayaking, going to the beach, hunting and countless other activities is yours for the taking.


Video: Cleaning Your Prosthesis

Beach Amp - T