Howdy
Talking a little about preventing sores when wearing your prosthesis.
Amput33Cast18
I can tell you a part of life as an amputee is worrying about your skin getting sores or having a irritation due to your prosthesis. Personal experience has taught me it always looming concern. I have seen it happen to rookie amputees and people who have been wearing a prosthetic for a very long time.
The best thing to do if you have a wound or sore is to NOT WEAR YOUR PROSTHESIS if possible. I also know that life happens and sometimes you feel you can’t not wear your leg, at least for short periods. Obviously the less you irritate the area the better,
Things To Do To Prevent Sores
Make sure the fit is good.
Your prosthesis should fit nice and snug, but still be comfortable. I know it is hard sometime to know what that feels like. Some indicators. If you are feeling pain it isn’t fitting good. If there is a lot of movement and rubbing it isn’t fitting good. If you are moving up and down in the socket of leg it isn’t fitting good. If the prosthetic is rotating on your limb it isn’t fitting good.
I feel wearing a prosthesis is a lot like footwear but for your residual limb. If shoes don’t fit well or have not been broke in properly there is a good chance you will get sores or have blisters.
Things to check:
Liners and or Sleeves are pulled up all the way and do not have any folds or wrinkles in them.
Socks should be pulled up all the way but not stretched. They should also also be free of wrinkles and folds. Make sure you are wearing the proper thickness or ply of socks. Your limbs should fit nice and snug. This can be tough to judge sometime. If your leg feels loose or hurts on the very end that is often an indicator that you need more socks. If you are not sure your prosthetist or possibly another experienced amputee should be able to help you in this area.
Your limb should be clean and dry. Same for your supplies…socks liners and sleeves. Hygiene is very important. When wearing your prosthesis your limb is often in a damp, warm and dark area…A perfect breeding ground for bacteria and germs.
If you start to sweat a lot while wearing your prosthesis you should stop and dry your limb and liner as soon as possible. Waiting makes your skin more fragile and susceptible to breakdown. A lot of moisture can cause your prosthetic to start moving around on your limb.
If You Get A Wound
The best thing is not to wear the leg or wear it as little as possible.
Make an appointment with your prosthetist and have him take a look. Often there are adjustments that can be made to take pressure off of certain area of your leg. He/She may have other ideals on what may be causing the issue.
Be even more diligent about keeping your limb/liner clean. Ditto on moisture. Your skin is so much more fragile when it is wet. Think about how your hands get wrinkly when coming out of a pool or after bathing.
Clean and dry is key.
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Wounds, even small ones can be very dangerous. Something small can turn into something big if you are not careful. I know not being able to wear your leg is very inconvenient. The last thing you want is to make things worse then not be able to wear it for an extended amount of time.
Peace & Love To All
#amput33 #LuvLife
