Background: Soft tissue management for a patient with an amputation is very similar to the management of anyone else with disrupted integument. Stump management and scar tissue massage are the major issues to address post amputation.
Objectives: To briefly discuss the complex rehabilitation that intends to address the emotional, functional, psychological, and social needs of patients with amputations. Another objective is to give an overview of massage therapy interventions for treatment of symptoms specific to amputations.
Conclusion: In combination with prosthetic training and continued prosthetic use, massage therapy is recommended to prevent the development of painful symptoms.
Introduction
An amputation is a type of trauma that is physically and emotionally life changing. The process of rehabilitation for these patients is complex and generally a multi-disciplinary team approach is required. St. Johns Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, …show more content…
Appropriate blood flow is very important since it is responsible for eliminating waste and supplying nutrients to the body. Massage therapy has been recognized for its benefits of increasing circulation, locally and systemically. Poor circulation of a limb can result in a cold and often painful residual limb. Many patients state that it takes a number of hours for the limb to return to a normal temperature and for the burning sensation to diminish. Winter can be a difficult time for these patients due to decreased peripheral blood flow from the cold weather. Since muscles have been disrupted, they begin to atrophy due to reduced activity which contributes to the missing muscle pump action resulting in decreased circulation. Kneading and effleurage can mimic the muscle pump action by manually moving fluid in and out of the limbs. Massage can also have a local effect by increasing the circulation specifically to the area being
Objectives: To briefly discuss the complex rehabilitation that intends to address the emotional, functional, psychological, and social needs of patients with amputations. Another objective is to give an overview of massage therapy interventions for treatment of symptoms specific to amputations.
Conclusion: In combination with prosthetic training and continued prosthetic use, massage therapy is recommended to prevent the development of painful symptoms.
Introduction
An amputation is a type of trauma that is physically and emotionally life changing. The process of rehabilitation for these patients is complex and generally a multi-disciplinary team approach is required. St. Johns Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, …show more content…
Appropriate blood flow is very important since it is responsible for eliminating waste and supplying nutrients to the body. Massage therapy has been recognized for its benefits of increasing circulation, locally and systemically. Poor circulation of a limb can result in a cold and often painful residual limb. Many patients state that it takes a number of hours for the limb to return to a normal temperature and for the burning sensation to diminish. Winter can be a difficult time for these patients due to decreased peripheral blood flow from the cold weather. Since muscles have been disrupted, they begin to atrophy due to reduced activity which contributes to the missing muscle pump action resulting in decreased circulation. Kneading and effleurage can mimic the muscle pump action by manually moving fluid in and out of the limbs. Massage can also have a local effect by increasing the circulation specifically to the area being