How It Feels to Wear an Upper Limb Prosthesis

We also spoke with Chris (pictured in the image at the top of this article, on the right), who has an amputation that begins just below his shoulder. He wears a myoelectric elbow, wrist and an ETD:

“I love wearing my prosthesis. I feel that I’m more balanced. Not only aesthetically balanced, but the weight of the prosthesis allows me to feel balanced when I’m walking or bending over. Also, wearing a prosthesis is now alleviating the back pain that I developed while I was without an arm for 18 months."

Gerry (on the left in the same photo), is a bilateral amputee who wears both myoelectric and body-powered devices, said that the first word that comes to his mind when he thinks about how it feels to wear his prostheses, is “independent.”

“You know, these prostheses are what have allowed me to do all the things that I used to do before my accident, and to travel and go wherever I want to go by myself. Some nights I don’t want to take them off, but I know I have to, just to give my residual limbs some rest. In the morning, though, as soon as I put those things on, it's like, ‘OK, here we go — I'm ready.’”

One thing Gerry did mention was that while he finds his devices very comfortable most days, he does need to think about factors he can’t control, like the weather.

“When it’s really cold or really hot, wearing my prostheses can be an issue. When it’s cold, my muscles contract and the myoelectric sensors don’t work as well. And with heat and humidity, if I’m sweating a lot, I have to be careful. That moisture builds up inside the socket, and again, the myoelectric sensors won’t work sometimes. Another thing is that I have a lot of skin grafts on my residual limb, and if I sweat too much, the skin tears easily. I have to make time to take my prostheses off to let them dry thoroughly, and let my limbs dry thoroughly.”

We know that there are also people out there who may prefer not to wear an upper limb prosthesis. Our Arm Dynamics clinical team believes that with the right fit and experts at your service, it is possible to be comfortable wearing a prosthesis. For some people, it’s about changing from a thermoplastic socket to a silicone socket. For others, it’s finding a prosthesis and terminal device that aren’t too heavy for their residual limb. Still others find it’s about getting exactly the right fit, which is possible with our clinical team because they are upper limb specialists. It’s also about finding the right terminal device that helps people blend in or stand out — whatever their preference may be.

If you or someone you know is looking to find out what it’s like to wear an upper limb prosthesis due to a limb difference or limb loss, please contact us. All potential patients and their families are invited to attend a complimentary consultation, either in-person or via video chat. If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please leave them below.