The stages of rehabilitation
There are several stages an amputee may go through during the first year following an amputation. Keep in mind that everyone goes through the stages of rehabilitation at his or her own pace and many factors like age, health and type of amputation come into play. Some stages will be shorter or longer than others, and certain stages may overlap.
The rehabilitation process will be different for each amputee, but there are a number of factors which will influence your rehabilitation programme.
These are:
- Your age
- General health pre-amputation
- Build and agility
- Associated medical conditions/injuries
- Contra-lateral limb (sound limb)
- Personal circumstances
- Lifestyle
- Motivation and acceptance
- Environment
- Commitment of the rehab team working with you
- Quality of your prostheses
- Comfort of your prostheses
The multidisciplinary rehab team will develop a rehabilitation plan to guide you, the amputee, along the way. It is important that you remain an active participant throughout the whole process.
The 5 key stages of rehabilitation are:
