What is Holistic Prosthetic Care?

When you have a complimentary consultation with us, you might hear us use the words “holistic care” a lot. We know that not everyone is familiar with that term, and some people may associate the word holistic with a bohemian way of life, so we thought we’d take some time to explain what it is and why we think it’s the best approach when it comes to offering our skills to our patients.

Holistic simply means whole body. So when treating a patient for an upper limb amputation, or fitting someone with a congenital limb difference, we never stop thinking about how our patient’s mind and their whole body work together to help them perform daily tasks, get work done and enjoy life. Mental health is often overlooked, but addressing the patient's psychological needs is essential following a traumatic amputation. By incorporating our patient's psychosocial needs into therapy and training we can maximize their success with their new prosthesis.

The quote, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” is attributed to Aristotle, and we believe it applies to our patients. Each Arm Dynamics center has a full time holistic team that includes a prosthetist and a clinical therapy specialist who work together with every patient. Our patients are not "just their limb difference" — they are a whole person who deserves our whole attention. We work with our patients to create a custom prosthetic rehabilitation plan that makes it possible for them to experience successful prosthetic outcomes for the long run, including a timely return to daily activities and work.

You can watch Dr. Jonathan Cheng, Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, speak about our holistic approach:

The World Health Organization writes that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being [...].” We provide the best upper limb prosthetic care to those who have had an amputation while keeping in mind the following goals: help our patient move past the pain, process their injury, and create a life that they want to lead. We do this by teaching our patients to use their device and apply that knowledge to their daily lives. We know from experience that the consistent use of a prosthetic device can allow a person to adjust to life more easily after an amputation.

You can read more about the tools we use and offer our patients here, on our Wellness Inventory and outcome measures home pages and blog articles.

Do you have any questions about holistic prosthetic care? We are happy to offer complimentary consultations to anyone who is interested — all you have to do is contact us. Do you have thoughts about the holistic care that is offered at our Arm Dynamics centers or that was offered at a previous prosthetic care center you visited? Please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

For more information, see related Arm Dynamics articles here:

• How We Help Our Patients Learn to Use Their Prosthesis
• Stats and Testimonials Regarding Upper Limb Prosthetic Care and Devices
• How Outcome Measures Can Maximize a Patient’s Rehabilitation Potential
• Seven Reasons Arm Dynamics Centers Are Different From Other Prosthetic Care Providers
• How to Stay Comfortable When Wearing an Upper Limb Prosthesis