What patients should do if their prosthetic is uncomfortable.
Technology for prosthetics has come a long way over the past several decades. With each technological advancement in both prosthetic design and application, prosthetics get more and more comfortable for patients all around the world.
That being said, it’s possible that a prosthesis may sometimes cause discomfort or pain, especially with a prosthetic leg. Today, we’re going to briefly discuss what causes discomfort, how to adjust a prosthetic leg, and how Grace Prosthetic Fabrication helps ensure comfort with sockets and other devices.
What Makes a Prothesis Uncomfortable?
Knowing how to adjust a prosthetic leg and how Grace helps prevent discomfort are both important, but we should first discuss what might be causing the problem. These are just a few factors that may cause a prosthesis to be uncomfortable:
- Initial Fitting — It’s possible that the patient’s initial fitting was too loose or too tight.
- Lifestyle — If a patient has changed his or her activity level or another element of their lifestyle, this may be causing issues.
- Missed Appts — If follow-up appointments were either not scheduled or not kept, this may have prevented the doctor from catching an ill-fitting socket or prosthesis early.
- Irritation — The prosthesis may be causing physical irritation or dry, itchy skin.
How to Adjust a Prosthetic to Improve Comfort
The truth is that many prosthetics need to be adjusted throughout the day because of the natural changes that muscles and tissues go through. If you’re feeling discomfort, you may need to make adjustments by either adding or removing padding within the socket. Newer, more advanced prosthetics will automatically adjust for the patient, but many patients haven’t upgraded yet.
When Prosthetic Patients Should Call Their Doctor
Learning how to adjust a prosthetic leg to avoid discomfort depends on the situation. If the patient has already tried adding or moving padding and nothing seems to help, then it’s time to call their doctor.
They could always try changing their lifestyle, but this is typically not feasible for most patients. This will not be a problem if they have a prosthesis that automatically adjusts. Therefore, it’s in their best interest to visit their doctor for assistance.
How Grace Prosthetics Aids in Comfort
It’s important that your patient always know how to adjust a prosthetic leg, but much of this can be avoided with the right design and the proper fitting. Here’s how GRACE helps ensure that your patient is as comfortable as possible from their very first fitting:
Experienced Designers
Comfort begins with the prosthetic itself, and the most pertinent aspect of that is the design. Grace has hand-selected some of the most talented designers in the industry. They’re dedicated to their craft and want every patient to feel as comfortable as possible with their prosthesis.
Advanced Technology
Next to the designers themselves, technology is the most important aspect of ensuring the utmost comfort. Grace utilizes the newest technology, such as advanced 3D printing and design. This allows us to always be on the cutting edge of design, comfort, and functionality.
High-Quality Materials
The professionals at Grace absolutely insist on using the highest quality materials available. This allows us to give proper support to patients throughout our various prosthetic devices and components. Patients can count on our sockets, laminated sleeves, and all the other products that we offer.
Lifestyle Accommodation
Every patient has a different kind of lifestyle. Some people need standard prosthetics and sockets so that they can get around more easily. Others need specialized devices that allow them to take part in activities that involve running, swimming, etc. No matter the type of lifestyle, Grace is dedicated to assisting each and every patient.
Proprietary Grace Plates
Grace Plates were created by our very excellent prosthetics design team several years ago. What we’ve done is found an easier way to align a prosthetic plate after socket fabrication. Our Grace Plates, found in more than a dozen variations all around the world, have provided a new way for the industry to approach prosthetics while delivering the same level of comfort and functionality.
Laminating Sleeves
Although this discussion has been about physical comfort, we must also remember that a patient’s mental and emotional comfort are important as well. One way that we accomplish this is with the use of prosthetic laminating sleeves. These allow patients to give their prosthesis a unique appearance, which can make them more mentally comfortable in the way they present themselves to the world.
Contact Grace for Prosthetic and Orthotic Fabrication
Grace Prosthetic Fabrication can assist you in ensuring that your patients are comfortable with their prosthesis. If you have any questions about our central fabrication process or any of our products, give us a call at (800) 940-5347 today.
