Amputee Rehabilitation

Balance Physiotherapy offers highly customized acute and chronic amputee rehabilitation programs for clients with upper and lower limb amputations. These programs are tailored to maximize functional mobility and minimize pain. We work closely with prosthetists to ensure that every client’s prosthetics and mobility aids match his or her physical needs and functional goals.

Key Components of physical therapy:

• Prosthetic training: to help the person adapt to their new prosthetic which may include learning how to walk, balance, and use the prosthesis for daily activities.

• Strengthening exercises: To regain strength and mobility in the unaffected limbs and body to help improve balance, coordination, and flexibility.

• Range of motion exercises: to maintain or improve flexibility in the residual limb (the part of the limb that remains after amputation) and in other areas of the body, such as the hips and knees, that may have been affected by the loss of a limb.

• Gait training: If the individual is using a prosthetic limb, gait training helps them develop proper walking techniques.

• Pain management: individuals may experience residual limb pain, phantom limb sensations (feeling pain or movement in the missing limb), or pain from the prosthetic itself. Techniques such as massage therapy and desensitization exercises may be used to alleviate pain and discomfort.

• Education: Rehabilitation programs often include education on skin care for the residual limb, proper prosthetic maintenance, and prevention of complications (such as pressure sores or infections). Patients are also educated on energy conservation techniques and strategies to make daily activities easier and more efficient.

Some amputees may benefit from adaptive equipment and assistive devices like wheelchairs, crutches, or specialized tools designed to help with daily tasks. In cases where a prosthesis is not suitable, training in using other adaptive techniques or technologies may help with mobility and independent living. If applying through the Assistive Device Program for funding, our Occupational Therapist, Stephanie Hadi and Physiotherapist, Silvia Guido are authorizers of the program and can help!