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Calming Strategies Along the Upper Limb Prosthetic Journey

Amber Henson
by Amber Henson
Nov 11, 2025

We recently spoke with one of our Arm Dynamics patients, Ali, a partial hand amputee, about the first time he met the clinical team at our Houston center. “As my appointment grew nearer, I found myself dreading the session. For one thing, my poor finger — it had been poked and prodded and I didn’t want more poking and prodding. I also didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know much about prostheses, so I wasn’t sure if what I was going to get was even going to be helpful. There were just a lot of unknowns and so I felt very anxious about my appointment, and I was afraid of being disappointed. But I went.”

We can assure you that our clinical team is very conscientious about prioritizing our patients’ comfort during evaluations. We can tell you that many of our patients who know almost nothing about prostheses walk out of their first session with a lot of hope, and many of them go on to wear helpful, functional prosthetic devices. We can also tell you that Ali (pictured below with his custom silicone device on his ring finger) became such a champion of prostheses that he was happy to be interviewed so that he could help those who came after him.

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But you can also explain to someone who is afraid of flying how the airplane stays up, how it’s the safest form of transportation, and how high the chances are that they will land at their destination safe and sound. You can explain all that and yet they may still be scared to fly. Just because information is provided, the fear doesn’t always go away. Anxiety isn’t always ruled by logic.

There also might be parts of your prosthetic journey that don’t involve a prosthesis: some people may have to go through revision surgery so they can wear a more functional, comfortable device. Having multiple surgeries means you may know what to expect, but it doesn’t mean the surgery makes you any less anxious.

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Our patient Ricardo, who had revision surgery.

While you may not be able to successfully tell your anxiety to simply go away, there are strategies out there that can allow you to manage it and go on about your day, or come to your Arm Dynamics appointment, or go in for that surgery. Let’s take a look at some.

Breathing

This strategy is so simple it’s easy to dismiss it. But taking the time to focus on our breath, to breathe deeply, to supply our body with something it needs, can really make a difference. There are a lot of ways to calm yourself with breathing, but the easiest is probably just taking the time to consciously breathe through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. If you have a support person, a spouse or friend who is willing to breathe with you, this can be incredibly calming for both of you (perhaps this is why strenuous walks with another person can be so soothing). For more specific instructions and other breathing techniques, check out this article from Healthline.

Mindfulness

When feeling overwhelmed, trying to ground your body to your place and time can keep you from spiraling. There are many ways to practice this technique, but they all relate to the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Go through each sense and name what it is experiencing, i.e. what is one thing I can see right now? What is one thing I can smell right now? If you have a water bottle, consider thinking about what water tastes like. Reminding yourself to live in the moment can help your brain refocus on the present instead of worrying about the future. You can read more about mindfulness and grounding and the 5-4-3-2-1 technique in this article from Therapist Aid.

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If you close your eyes, can you smell the cinnamon?

Other Methods That May Work for You

Some people find solace in reading, writing or creating something, like art or quilts. Some people enjoy guided muscle relaxation or visualization. Try out different methods of coping strategies to discover what calms your anxiety. Several of our patients use yoga for not just exercise but to destress.

Once you arrive at your Arm Dynamics appointment, our clinical team is there to help. Not only will you find information and people who want to listen to you, our team is also there to provide additional support. Our Wellness Inventory is a screening tool we give to all patients to see if they could benefit from outside support, like counseling.

If you are just beginning your upper limb prosthetic journey and are curious about the holistic prosthetic care that we provide, we hope you’ll contact us. Please know that reaching out to us doesn’t mean you have to do a video consultation, and having a consultation with us doesn’t mean you have to continue with an in-person evaluation. You are in charge of what your prosthetic care looks like – we are here to guide and support you as requested. We invite you to leave a comment on this article, especially if you have your own calming strategy to contribute.

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