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Three Key Pieces of Advice for People Who Are New to Upper Limb Prosthetics

Amber Henson
by Amber Henson
May 27, 2025

Hello from Amber! I am one of the authors of the articles featured in Arm Dynamics’ Upper Limb Library. Many of these articles include advice from our patients. I've put together a list of advice that both new and experienced people with upper limb amputations may find helpful. Here we go!

Don’t give up

We hear this sentiment from so many of our patients regarding the frustration they often feel at first when they’re starting out on their prosthetic journey. From our patient JJ, who lost both his arms when he was electrocuted on the job: “My advice to anyone just starting out on their journey is don’t give up. The more you try, the better you’re going to get. It doesn't matter how many times you drop something or crush something or spill something. You keep trying and you learn how not to do that. You can get frustrated, but you have to get back in there. Don’t stop trying.”

Our patient Gregory, who lost his thumb in a firework accident: “Don’t give up. If you think you don’t need prosthetic care and support, or don’t deserve it — you definitely do.” You can watch Gregory's patient progress video below:

Putting in the time and effort to learn to use your device and waiting to become an expert can take a lot of patience. Our patient Ashley: “Just take it one day at a time, because you’re not going to get where you want to be overnight. Yes, you are going to get frustrated, but in the end, you have — not a replacement — but you have your prosthesis that will help you do many things you couldn’t do without it. It does take time to get used to wearing a prosthesis, but you’re going to be so grateful you have it.”

Not only does that sentiment apply to not giving up on learning how to use their device, but it also applies to getting the device you need. Our patient Isaiah went to a couple of different prosthetic care providers that could not fit him with a comfortable, functional device before becoming a patient at his local Arm Dynamics center. His advice? “You have to be your own advocate. You have to make sure that you voice what you want, and what you need when it comes to your prosthesis and your care. For me, I found it difficult to get what I needed. The other places were getting away with a lot of mediocrity, and I’d done my research. I knew what was possible. That’s the best advice I can give: You have to be an active, on-top-of-it advocate for yourself.”

Take breaks

There are two reasons that you need to take breaks, no matter where you are in your prosthetic journey.

The first reason is because trying to push too far too fast can make you frustrated. While we all get frustrated when trying to learn something new, and learning how to use a prosthesis is a huge new thing to deal with, frustration can block your ability to accurately control your device. Our patient Dakota: “I noticed that when I push too hard when I’m frustrated, I have trouble efficiently operating my myoelectric controls.” Learning a new skill takes a certain amount of creativity, and when we’re frustrated, we can’t access that creativity as easily.

The other reason to take a break is for the health of your residual limb. Our patient Gerry, who has a bilateral amputation and is pictured below, loves to tool around his farm, welding and using a skill saw, and generally doing upkeep and maintenance. “I’ll take breaks after lunch to give myself a rest, give my arms a rest — especially in the summer when that sweat and moisture builds up inside them, I have to take off my prostheses to give the skin a break.”

GerrySawListing

Your body also needs a break. It is not the same body it once was. Energy conservation and work simplification are great ways to accomplish your goals without pushing yourself to exhaustion. Our patient Doug loves to go fishing and camping. “When I’m packing, I have a wagon, and I load up all the gear I’ll need in advance. I don’t have to carry all that stuff down to the river or lake, I can pull the wagon, and for that I just need my sound hand.”

Meet, watch and read about your fellow amputees

Before your amputation, it’s likely you never met anyone with an amputation. We almost never see people with upper limb amputations on television or in the movies, and when we do it’s often science fiction. We know that so many of our patients get stopped by people who have never seen the cool passive, body-powered and myoelectric devices they are wearing. There’s a lot of curiosity, but very little knowledge.

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When someone experiences an amputation, there are so many questions people have about what is possible. Many of our patients want to know, "Can I go back to work? How do I support my family now? What will my life look like now?” For instance, after his amputation, our patient Eduardo wondered, “Are there any amputee chefs?”

Connecting with a peer support group, watching videos and reading interviews with people who have also had amputations can be life changing. Our patient Abram was injured on the job and lost his arm below his elbow. In the days and weeks after his injury, Abe was having a hard time thinking about what the future might look like. Then, “I watched a documentary called ‘Charged’ about a chef and him losing his arm. His name is Eduardo Garcia, and he was an inspiration to me.”

Our patient Chris came to our Kansas City center to join us for a photo shoot. Chris is a unilateral amputee, and Gerry is a bilateral amputee with more experience than Chris has using a prosthesis. Chris: “I truly enjoyed visiting with Gerry and his wife. He was very motivating for me! I felt that I had hit a wall with developing my prosthetic skills. Gerry amazed the daylights out of me. Watching him utilize his prostheses showed me that I have more to accomplish. He also reminded me that he has eight years of practice, and he was once where I am today. Honestly, talking with Gerry was my favorite part of the trip." Chris and Gerry are pictured below.

Gerry and Chris Buck

Joy goes both ways. Our patient Raymond received his passive positional digits at our center in Houston. Before he left to drive home, there were two more patients in the center. “The first guy, he was in his early 20’s and he was missing a couple of fingers. I had my device then and I was able to show him what I could do. He was excited, knowing what was possible. The other guy was just a teenager, both his hands were affected. He didn’t talk much, he seemed to still be going through it, but I was also able to show him some things. My Arm Dynamics therapist handed me a sledgehammer just so I could see how much weight my fingers could hold, and I was able to show this kid, like, look, you can hold this thing, and the fingers don’t break. Getting to show those kids what the end game looks like, I hope that helped them — and showing them what I could do helped me get excited for the future.”

Our Arm Dynamics team can connect our newer patients with our more experienced patients who have expressed interest in providing peer support. For people with bilateral upper limb loss, the Enhancing Skills for Life organization is a great resource to check out.

Looking for more advice? Our articles are full of them. From advice for spouses of amputees, to how to move forward after an amputation, to which adaptive tools can be of help (some pictured below), just browse our Upper Limb Library and you’ll discover much more.

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If you or someone you know is looking for holistic prosthetic care offered by upper limb prosthetic specialists, please contact us. Our prosthetists are passionate about fitting their patients with comfortable, functional devices with the purpose of helping people reach their goals. Our onsite occupational therapists teach each of our patients how to use their device before we let them walk out the door, and they provide lifetime follow-up care.

Have some advice for your peers? Please leave it in the comment section below.

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