Amputation means a piece of a limb or part of body needs to be taken off the body. Many people are born without limbs (arms, hands, legs, or feet). This is called a congenital condition. These people do not have their arms, hands, legs or feet amputated (cut off from the body). They are just born this way. Why might someone need to cut off a limb? There are a lot scenarios (reasons) . Some include having an accident at work, diabetes, or a blood disease.
Once the body part is removed an amputee may become depressed, feeling sad because they cannot do all things they use to be able to do like other normal people do. It can become hard to sleep. They may wake up feeling like the body part is still attached and/or hurting. They also get skin diseases at the stump (at the cut mark); especially when they use a prosthetic (artificial body part).
What Can Be Done to Help an Amputee?
There is a lot of assistance and solutions for an amputee. One is occupational therapy. They learn how to use the prosthetic as well as how to get a long with life without the body part. Motor ability helps the person move from place to place and with breathing and exercise. Functional status, like dressing oneself , can also be learned. Many need help with physiological issues like depression. A therapist can help them rethink new goals and strategies in understanding what makes them most depressed so that they can stay away from that stress.
Works Cited
“Limb Loss.” Medlineplus, U.S National Library of Medicine, 21 Dec 2016.
https://medlineplus.gov/limbloss.html. 12 Jan 2017.
Aleks35 • Feb 24, 2017 at 12:44 pm
I always been have admiration for these people because they can do the same that we do or even do it better. I think of them like a motivation. I remember when I was kid I did not how swim and I remember I watched the Special Olympics where people with amputation and other disability participate in this competition. I saw one little girl who was swimming and I said to myself if she can do it, I can do it too. That how I got motivation and I started to practice until one day I was swimming without help.
beach • Feb 2, 2017 at 9:34 am
I like this article because it is very informing. If you know somebody who has a physical challenge then you appreciate the tools that people create to help. I recommend anyone who doesn’t know that much about the prosthetic process they should read this article.