Feelings of Frustration as an Upper Limb Amputee

There is no denying that even with an experienced care team, a supportive group of family and friends, and being trained how to operate your upper limb prosthesis, having an upper limb amputation can be frustrating. Of course it is! Many of our patients have spent years with two sound upper limbs. And then there’s the reality that most of the world is designed for people with two hands.

So, what is causing this frustration and how do we deal with these issues? Take a look to see if you are experiencing any of the following challenges:

Limited Function:

Until we reach “Luke Skywalker at the end of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’” levels of upper limb prostheses, function will be somewhat limited. Although myoelectric prostheses are becoming more advanced, they are still not a human hand. But that doesn’t mean that work, home and leisure activities cannot be completed. Work tasks can often prove difficult. If someone is having trouble with work tasks, the answer may be to have them instead focus on a recreational goal. Our occupational therapist at the Minneapolis center, Becky Park, has had success with this suggestion. “Focusing on a recreational goal allows the patient to develop functional skills with an enjoyable activity. These functional skills then can be transferred to work related tasks and potentially improve their function with these tasks as well. This is a great way to improve functionality because the person is completing enjoyable tasks that they are highly motivated to perform.” Once the patient has mastered that skill, they can move the skill over to work and find an easier time with that particular task.