By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What You Need To Know About Losing A Limb
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Orthopaedics > What You Need To Know About Losing A Limb
OrthopaedicsSpecialtiesSurgery

What You Need To Know About Losing A Limb

Kara Reynolds
Last updated: July 27, 2020 5:53 pm
Kara Reynolds
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

Limb loss can happen for any number of reasons. While accidents can be the catalyst, there are also conditions that require amputation. Circulatory problems, injuries, cancer and birth defects are all common causes of limb loss or removal. No matter how it happens, the situation causes a lot of change and difficulty for the individual experiencing it. 

Contents
SurgeryPhysical RecoveryAdaptingMental RecoveryPhantom LimbProsthetics

Living without a limb is an ongoing adjustment process, which involves learning new things and performing tasks differently than before. However, with the right support and care, that process can be made easier and more comfortable. With physical therapy, medical care and mental health care, limb loss can be a bit less scary.

While it can feel like there’s a lot of information to study, learning is a part of the process. Each person and journey is different, and the information available about limb loss will apply to each patient differently. 

Surgery

For many patients, limb loss begins with surgery. Within this process, the amputee has time to process the situation and prepare. If they happen to be going the route of prosthetics, they can choose their prosthetist before surgery, as they’ll be working closely with them to create prosthetic equipment that works best in their life. 

More Read

Chiropractor
The Most Important Things To Know When Choosing A Chiropractor
Understanding and Treating Female Hair Loss
Life After a Stroke: Healthy Living and Financial Advice
May is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
Five tips to boost digestion and metabolism

During surgery, the surgeon will remove tissue, crushed bone and any other problematic elements, leaving only healthy tissue. After the surgery is finished, the patient will be bandaged and likely have their wound dressed in compression socks and elevated, or cared for in another way that the physicians see fit. Rehabilitation will be light and gentile, mostly focused on maintaining mobility in the other areas of the body.

Patients often stay in the hospital for up to 14 days, though the wound will take a few weeks to heal.

Physical Recovery

Physical therapy and rehabilitation are an important part of the healing journey. Occupational therapy and in-home care might be a part of the process as well. Rehabilitation is often long and can be frustrating, but it is designed to optimize mobility and allow the patient to heal. While the movements and exercises practiced in physical therapy will vary from patient to patient, they often involve stretching and mobility exercises that become more intense as the healing process continues and the patient is able to handle more activity.

Adapting

One of the more encompassing parts of losing a limb is learning to do things differently and adapting to life in new ways. Depending upon the limb lost, this can be different from person to person. Whether this process involves learning to walk on a prosthetic or learning to hold things in new ways, it can sometimes feel like a patient’s whole life is impacted by this change. Often, the use of mobility aids and other devices will help assist in the process.

While this process is ongoing throughout life and shapes a larger learning journey, the patient can also work with their physical therapist and other medical care professionals to find solutions for tasks both big and small.

Mental Recovery

The loss of a limb is a highly stressful life event for the patient. Everyone reacts differently to stress and trauma, and there’s no wrong way to feel. It can be perfectly natural to feel sad, angry, frustrated and uncomfortable. It’s important for the patient to take care of their mental health and well being. This can look like leaning on their support system, seeking mental health care or finding community in support groups or other common spaces so that they know they aren’t alone. Mental health can make all the difference sometimes, and that process deserves attention just like the physical healing process.

Phantom Limb

Residual Limb Pain, also referred to as phantom limb, impacts many people who have lost a limb. This feeling of pain and sensation in a limb that isn’t there anymore can be caused by a number of factors, from surgical trauma to normal prospective pain that patients often experience post-surgery. While this issue is common, there are also measures that patients can take to manage the pain.

Beginning physical therapy exercises as soon as possible, working with a doctor and medical team to address the issue and practicing relaxation techniques can all help to manage the phantom limb pain and sensation.

Prosthetics

Fitting for prosthetics usually happens two or three weeks after surgery. Many factors come into play when building and choosing prosthetics. Things like activity level, health concerns and cosmetic preferences are all important on some level. During the fitting process, the patient will often get a temporary limb to make adjustments based on their life and needs. This process might be long and repeated to ensure that the prosthetic is the perfect fit for the patient. 

Adjusting to the use of prosthetics will be a large part of life going forward. No matter how well a prosthetic works or how accurately it fits and functions, little things will feel different about moving and performing tasks. Prosthetic training and practice is important, as it can help to bridge this gap and build new muscle memory.

Losing a limb is never easy, but with the help of trusted medical professionals and loving support systems, patients can find the care they need to push on and persevere, even in the difficult times.

TAGGED:losing limb
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Kara Reynolds
Follow:
Kara Reynolds is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Momish Magazine, an inclusive parenting magazine filled with parenting hacks, advice, and more to keep your beautiful family thriving. As a mom and stepmom, Kara hopes to normalize blended families and wants her readers to know that every family is beautiful and messy just how they are. When she's not writing, Kara enjoys pilates and likes a little coffee with her cream. Find more from Kara on Twitter @MomishMagazine.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

OrthopaedicsSpecialtiesWellness

4 Terrible Injuries That Can Happen Because of a Motorcycle Accident

March 18, 2019
periodontology brings compassion
Dental healthSpecialtiesTechnology

Merging Compassion and Science is the Future of Periodontology

September 23, 2022
Dental Veneers
Dental health

How To Make Dental Veneers Last a Lifetime

August 27, 2023
Dental Emergencies
Dental healthSpecialties

Dental Emergencies 101: Common Types And How To Handle Them

January 20, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?