How to Take Care of Prosthetic Leg

Prosthetic leg is used to replace missing legs due to a congenital condition, illness, or accident.

The process of installation prosthetic leg made by a team of experts, including medical rehabilitation specialists and prosthetist (expert made prosthesis or artificial limb replacement). To get the maximum benefit, a person must take care of the prosthetic and his amputated body parts.

Installation Process of Prosthetic Leg

Before the prosthetic leg is attached, there are some processes that must be performed, among others:

1. Ensure the health of the area around the foot.
2. Measure the stump (the end of the amputated body) so the size of the prosthetic leg fitted with body size.
3. Make a plaster mold of the foot.
4. Designing socket (buffer) to make it more comfortable.
5. Adding the shaft at the candidate prosthetic limbs.
6. Beautify candidate prosthetic leg to match the aesthetics of the body.

Just before the installation of artificial limbs, desensitization is usually performed of the skin around the stump or the base to be fitted with prosthetic limbs. Desensitization is a process of reducing the level of sensitivity of the skin around the stump to be more comfortable to wear prosthetic leg. The process of desensitization is performed as follows.

• The skin covering the the stump pressed by using a soft cloth. To reduce swelling, the section covered by bandage. It is also intended to prevent the accumulation of fluid on the the stump, either inside or around it.
• Furthermore, patients are advised to pull the skin and rub gently around the bone in order to avoid the formation of excessive scar tissue. This step can be done alone or can be assisted by medical personnel.

Usually you will begin to practice using prosthetic leg in ten days to two weeks after surgery, depending on the condition of the feet, sores and post-operative healing process.

After wearing prosthetic leg, you still have to train the muscles that still exist around the foot. In this case the physiotherapist will help train you. In order to familiarize yourself with this artificial limb, you are advised to continue to exercise instructed by your physiotherapist.

How to Take Care of Prosthetic Leg

Not just artificial limbs to be treated, but also part of the original foot using prosthetic limbs. You have to take care of it every day in the following way.

1. Remove the prosthetic leg when you are going to sleep.
2. Check your prosthetic leg, make sure that no parts are damaged, loose, or anything else.
3. Check your stump, make sure no irritation, blisters, or other disorders.
4. Ask for help of others to also examine whether there is any injury to the skin around the stump regularly.
5. Clean the stump, then slowly massage the skin with lotion.
6. To reduce swelling, wraps stump with bandage when you're not using prosthetic limbs.
7. Do exercises to support endurance, range of motion, posture and stretching, as guide of the therapist.
8. Choose the right size of shoes. Avoid high heels.
9. Wear socks when you are using prosthetic leg.
10. Clean the socket regularly with soap.
11. Keep your weight in order to keep the size of prosthetic leg and your body and comfortable to wear.
12. Consult your prosthetic leg in prosthetist once a year to ensure your prosthetic leg is still functioning properly.

Tips for Healthy and Strong Bones

Bone disorder is one complaint that can be annoying, especially in the elderly. To prevent that from happening, the following tips to have healthy and strong bones.

The possibility of women experience bone loss or osteoporosis is greater than men. By applying a diet containing adequate nutrition and appropriate exercise can reduce the risk.

Although at first glance seems as harsh and permanent organ, but actually the bone is a living tissue that include blood vessels, nerves and bone marrow.

As the living tissue, the bone would improve his condition regularly. A disturbance in the process of improvement and growth of bone, even the smallest ones, will increase the risk of fractures when doing daily activities.

Two nutrients essential for strong bones are calcium and vitamin D. Calcium will support the structure of bones and teeth, while vitamin D will maximize calcium absorption and supports bone growth.

That's where the importance of the intake of these nutrients from the outset. The adequacy of these nutrients will help prevent osteoporosis that can cause brittle bones to fracture.

Calcium intake for adults up to age 50 is 1,000 milligrams per day, while vitamin D is needed about 200 IU. After age 50, the intake should be added that 1,200 mg of calcium and 400-600 IU of vitamin D per day.

Some calcium-rich foods as part of healthy living tips strong bones are milk, cheese, nuts, tofu and green vegetables. In addition, also consume other foods that are fortified like bread from fortificated flour and others.

For foods high in vitamin D to support strong bones, such as eggs, fortified cereals, and some types of fish (e.g. salmon, sardines and mackerel). Apart from food, vitamin D is primarily derived from the sun.

Formation of bone goes up to the 20s. After the age of 35 years, along with the aging process, your bones lose bone mass. However, if the physical activity done regularly, bone loss can be slowed.

To build and maintain strong bones, necessary physical activities or exercise that focus on muscle strengthening and exercise with weights.

8 Ways to Keep Your Bones and Joints Healthy

Joints are the connection between two bones which allow you to bend your knees and elbows, bowed, turned, or waved. Considering the crucial role, it is important to keep the joint healthy. This includes the effort to maintain the ligaments, muscles, and bones to stay healthy.

Maintaining healthy joints turns out to involve a lot of things related to the management of lifestyle, including diet, exercise, and stay away from bad habits. Then how to protect the joints in order to remain healthy till old age? Let's look at the guidelines below.

• Ideal Body Weight will Reduce the Risk of Joints Diseases

Being overweight causes certain joints, such as knee joints, hips, and back bear a greater load. The heavier a person, the higher the risk of disruption that may arise in the joints. Losing weight to ideal weight would reduce the workload of the joints.

• Do not sit for all day, take a walk after a certain time of sitting

Sitting all day, either watching TV, typing, or driving, can increase the risk of causing joint disorders. The more you moves, the joints become more flexible and more likely to avoid the disease. Take breaks at least every half hour to move actively like walking, take a drink or go to the toilet.

• Consume fish to Reduce Inflammation

Fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids, such as mackerel and salmon, can keep your joints stay healthy and relieve inflammation that causes joint pain in patients with reumathoid arthritis.

• Consult to Doctor About a Supplement Before You Take It

Supplements containing glucosamine and S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) is the kind of products that are sold freely and is claimed to relieve joint pain. But before consuming it, you should consult your physician first to avoid the unintended adverse effect.

• Consume the Required Nutrition for Joints

Make sure you consume enough calcium that can be obtained from broccoli, soy, milk, and yogurt. You can also ask your doctor to prescribe calcium supplement if you think you do not get adequate calcium intake from food. In addition to calcium, there are also protein nutrients that are needed by the muscles. Protein can be obtained by eating seafood, meat, and nuts. While vitamin D and C are also important for calcium absorption and as a source of antioxidants.

• Make a Habit to Exercise Regularly 

Study found that exercise which boost heart rate, such as aerobics, can relieve swelling in the joints. But if you are suffering joint pain, it is better to try another exercise that is not at risk, such as swimming or cycling. Moreover, pilates and yoga is also a good exercise to improve balance and muscle strength. Whatever the choice, the most important thing is to choose the exercise you are excited and motivated to get you exercise regularly.

Read also : Benefits of Pilates Exercises

• Warming Up Before Exercising

Warming up is important to prevent joint injury while exercising. Perform slight movements such as moving the neck, bending the knee to the side, moving the shoulders and arms is important to prepare the body to exercise. Repeat at least 3-5 times. But keep in mind to avoid doing stretching before exercise. At this time, the muscles does not warm yet, thus creating a greater risk of injury. Therefore do stretching after warm-up and exercise.

• Avoid Excessive Exercising

Exercise is a physical activity which, if done regularly can make the body healthier and fit. However, the benefits of exercise will not be obtained if done excessively. Therefore, we should be able to recognize the signs when the body begins to feel the need to rest. If muscle or joint become painful for days, do not exercise to recover the body. We recommend you to immediately consult to doctor if the pain does not relieve for a week.