General Information
Stability, manipulation, expression, and culture are all areas that the hand and upper arm contribute to. Upper limb amputations affect how people live their everyday life, and they are more prevalent in lower income countries. Most amputations are a result of a trauma and cause a painful recovery, both mentally and physically. Posture and restricted balance are two areas that are primarily affected with amputation. Physiotherapy is recommended for all amputees to regain strength and remain active. Some common problems with upper limb amputations are the repetitive strain in the remaining arm, favoring the amputated arm, neck and back pain due to an asymmetric body, and phantom pain.
Lowe, Tony, et al. “Upper Limb Considerations.” Upper Limb Considerations – Physiopedia, www.physiopedia.com/Upper_Limb_Considerations.
Statistics and Demographics
2012 study statistics from advanced amputee solutions LLC:
- Percent of amputations that occur due to a vascular disease 54%
- Percent of amputations that are performed due to trauma 45%
- Upper limb to lower limb amputee ratio 1:4
“Amputee Statistics You Ought to Know.” AdvancedAmputees.com, Advance Amputee Solutions LLC, www.advancedamputees.com/amputee-statistics-you-ought-know.
2016 study done by Statistic Brain Research Institute:
- There are approximately 1.7 million amputees living in the US
- 82 percent of amputations that occur are due to a vascular disease (diabetes being the most prevalent)
- 22 percent of amputations that are performed are due to trauma
- 77 percent of amputations are performed on males
- 80 percent of amputations occur in people over the age of 50
“Amputee Statistics.” Statistic Brain, Statistic Brain Research Institue, 4 Sept. 2016, www.statisticbrain.com/amputee-statistics/.
The two main causes of amputations in the US are cardiovascular disease and trauma. In the 2012 study, these two causes were represented close to an even split with them being 54% and 45%, but come 2016 this turned to favor cardiovascular disease as the leading culprit jumping to 82% and trauma representing 22%. This change in the cause is likely due to less international conflict and war compared to 2012, which would reduce the number of wounded soldiers. The more important change influencing the pivot towards cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of amputation is the ever-growing rate of people with diabetes in our country stemming from a more sedentary lifestyle.
First Hand Account
In general, having a missing limb throws off your balance, independence, and mental health. Some don’t feel like they have a disability and some feel as if their life is taken away from them. Miles O’Brien and famous TV reporter for CNN who had an accident that cost him his limb explains how big of a mental game it is in his article “Life, After.” He states how surprising it is that you can complete almost 100% of the daily tasks you need to do with one hand, but mentally it becomes increasingly frustrating at times. Looking through O’Brien’s eyes brings forth a different perspective, one that says you can do it, it just might take a little time to get used to and to complete certain tasks.
Miles O’Brien Published Jun 12, 2014. “Life, After.” NYMag.com, nymag.com/health/bestdoctors/2014/miles-obrien-2014-6/.
Products
There are plenty of existing products that are out there specifically designed to help those with a missing limb. For example, there is a device called the Bra Angel that helps bring the two straps of a bra together to make it easier to clip with one hand. Another product called the Pants Clips clip onto the waistbands of pants and enables the user to pull up the pants using just one hand (1st picture). The problem that comes up with prosthetics/hooks is that with most products their surfaces are designed for a tactile grip. Hooks/prosthetics many times don’t offer this and create a slippery surface between the two creating accidental drops. Another helpful product that makes life productive for those who love to style themselves is the hair dryer holder that allows individuals the ability to dry their hair hands free (2nd picture). The problem that arises with the hair dryer holder is, it isn’t very versatile when users are using two other objects along with the hair dryer. An improvement that could be made is to add other holders fo maybe a brush or mirror.
Hall, Cheryl. “Sample Treatment Guides and Handouts from the OT Toolkit.” Occupational Therapy Toolkit, www.ottoolkit.com/samples?id=tg.
“Clip Pull Dressing Aid.” North Coast Medical, www.ncmedical.com/item_1598.html
Empathy
A first-hand account of Dayna Troisi helps explain many ways she has overcome the hardships of performing daily tasks. She explains basic hacks she has come up with to help her Shave, do her hair, and put on her clothes. She uses products such as the hair dryer stand and a snake cocktail ring to help do her hair in the morning. In addition, she states how shaving while holding a razor in her mouth has never failed her.
Troisi, D. (2017, July 27). How Do You Do Your Hair When You Only Have One Arm? Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.racked.com/2017/7/27/15985002/one-arm-amputee-makeup-hair-beauty-routine
