Proper skin and limb care is an important part of a disabled athletes day-to-day lifestyle, and not only does it help with your overall health, but it can keep your limbs from becoming too damage to allow you to take part in any physical activities.
Some of the biggest problems that amputees face in terms of limb care are:
- Sweat getting trapped within the socket of a prosthetic, which can cause disruptions to air circulating around the limb
- The lack of air and too much sweat creates the perfect environment for potentially harmful bacteria to multiply, which can cause serious infections down the line
- Abrasions and skin damage can occur if not treated daily
- Increased pain and discomfort after long enough without proper and regular treatment
Limb Care
For those that are new to living with amputation, it’s better to bathe at night rather than the morning, as the limb tends to swell in the hot water while playing online gambling casino games for too long, or when standing in the shower. If the limb swells too much, it can become difficult to place a prosthetic on successfully. It’s best to avoid heat and bathing in the morning, and to wear a prosthetic as soon as you wake up.
For those that make use of crutches, it’s best to not rest the limb on the handle pieces of the crutches. It’s also advised to do daily stretching exercises that can help both in improving circulation in the amputated area, and to promote strength and flexibility. Those suffering from a transfemoral amputation, it’s best not to sleep with the limb resting on a pillow as this can cause hip flexion contracture, and to avoid sleeping with a pillow between your legs, as this can cause the outer thigh muscles to weaken, making it difficult to walk properly over time.
For those that have transtibial amputations, it’s important to never sit or sleep with a pillow below the knee, as this can also lead to contracture.
Skin Care
- The limb needs to be washed with warm water and a mild soap every day and dried with a soft towel. It’s important that the limb be dried completed as if not done, it increases the risk of fungal growth that can lead to infection.
- Checking the limb for any redness or pressure patches that may be present after removing a prostheses, which can be a sign that the socked needs to be checked thoroughly. This can lead to skin breakdown if left unchecked.
- Make sure that the skin is healthy and is not suffering from any skin breakdown due to infection or abrasion.
- A softening cream should be used only of the skin has become dry and at risk of cracking, otherwise it’s best to avoid the cream as much as possible.
- Cornstarch is the preferred powder for limbs, as others, such as talcum powder, can cause skin irritation from build-up.
