The earliest and most crucial tasks during rehabilitation are to ensure that the prosthesis fits properly and the skin gradually develops a tolerance to the socket.
Your rehabilitation team at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute will play an important role in this process and in your entire rehab journey.
Your physical therapists will become a vital part of your recovery.
Some of the areas that physical therapists focus on include:
A physical therapist will teach you how to:
He or she will also manage prosthetic wear time progression during your rehabilitation stay.
Your wear time of the prosthesis will gradually increase based on your treatment plan established by the rehabilitation team. You’ll often start with a wear time of 15 to 30 minutes twice a day, increasing by 15 to 30 minutes based on your skin integrity.
A physical therapist will instruct you on a therapeutic exercise program to stretch and strengthen the muscles around your hip, knee, back, and trunk.
The physical therapist will gradually progress your exercises in order to strengthen your stump and remaining leg and arms, and improve your balance.
During these exercises, it is best to dress in comfortable, unrestrictive clothing.
An occupational therapist will assist you in addressing your self-care needs and activities of daily living, including:
An occupational therapist may recommend and train you to use a variety of specialty equipment — such as a raised toilet seat and inspection mirror — to:
Your rehabilitation team will assist you in adapting to community re-entry through mobility training in a variety of settings, such as:
They’ll also help you make arrangements for environmental modifications if needed, including:
Before you leave, we'll also provide you with information on resources to help you manage and cope with the transition to everyday life challenges, such as:
Our experts are with you at each phase of recovery after an amputation.
We integrate outpatient follow-up with local and national prosthetic companies who make prostheses.
Additionally, through the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation our doctors can:
Also, our research on complications after amputation have helped us to improve protocols for evaluating abnormal bone formation in the residual limb.