While much about growing old can be daunting and overwhelming, rehabilitation after an amputation doesn’t have to be! How did this happen?! How did you get here?! As they saying goes,“Ageing is not for sissies.” This is a reality that you’ve had to make peace with more times than you’d...
Amputee Corner
Rewire your nervous system
Phantom limb pain can be a frustrating challenge for amputees. Phantom motor execution, a new form of rehabilitation, could put an end to it for good Physical rehabilitation that involves the fitting of a prosthesis is not without its growing pains. The road to being fully mobile and functional can...
First-years: young and restless
Accommodating first-year students studying to become a prosthetist might be exciting, but it is also a great responsibility. When the university sends us first-year students, we are always a bit excited. What makes first-years so special is that they have had little contact with patients, doctors and the workings of...
Should your prosthesis be anchored to the bone?
Traditionally a prosthesis is fitted onto the place of amputation with the help of a socket. However, osseointegration could do away with sockets for good – at least for the right candidate Bone anchoring prosthesis or osseointegration refers to a prosthesis attached directly to a patient’s skeleton or bone at […]
No “I” in team rehab
Rehabilitation is a team effort and prosthetic rehabilitation is no different. It all starts the moment the decision is made to amputate a limb. Amputation is life-changing and the need to learn how to navigate this new, changed life is of cardinal importance. Adapting to life as an amputee has […]
What’s good for the goose…
Society should certainly strive for equality, but no two patients are the same. It is important for prosthetists to consider each individual case This phrase originates from the 1670s and it originally meant that male and female geese could be cooked in the same sauce. A few centuries later it […]
Walk the line!
We have said it before and we’ll say it again: “Prosthetic alignment cannot be seen, it can only be measured!” Humans are born with balancing capabilities. When using a prosthesis, a patient will take one step and immediately adapt to the prosthesis to maintain equilibrium, irrespective of the prosthetic alignment. […]
A winner not a victim
Clive McDonald is a former patient of HG Prosthetics who now motivates other patients struggling to accept their disability. Clive shares his story Who knows what Fate has in store for us with the dawning of each new day? In my case, the day started off fairly normal, with a […]
Oscar movie: facts or fiction
The American Lifetime channel film based on Oscar Pistorius has made headlines, but how accurate is its depiction of the South African Paralympian and Olympian sprinter? Asking a prosthetist to review a movie about an amputee who was involved in a deadly shooting incident is not likely to produce the […]
2018 is going to be my year!
A new year means new beginnings and for newly-wed amputee Marcelle Jacobs, 2018 has much in store, including new prosthetic legs. There is something refreshing and inspiring about a new year. January brings with it a chance to turn over a new leaf and drives an amazing sense of motivation […]