Amputee Life

In a time of constant busyness, our society has sought for ways to relax and be more in-tune with the present. One of the buzziest words in self-care circles is mindfulness, which is based on ancient Buddhist teachings that were brought to Western culture in the 1990s. Many people have used the principles of mindfulness to improve their quality of life and health, boost happiness, and decrease stress.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a prosthetic socket fit sensor that identifies pressure points within a socket. As of this writing, the technology is patented and is available via patent license agreement to prosthetic companies that would make or sell the device commercially.

Disbelief, shock, anxiety, anger, and feelings of loss—these are just a few emotions that come with news of cancer recurrence. No one is ever prepared for it, even though many cancer survivors constantly live with the fear of the disease returning. The emotional trauma of going through all the surgeries and treatments again is unimaginable.

A team of researchers from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering are working on a solution to the volume issue, thanks to a $400,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation in late 2019. For three years, the team will dedicate their time to the study of volume loss and eventually develop smart prosthetic sockets to improve comfort and prosthetic performance.  

If you're a new amputee, you may be wondering if you can still drive post-amputation. The good news is: Yes, you can. People with any level of lower- or upper-limb amputation can go back to doing the things they enjoyed pre-amputation, including running and cycling, albeit modified.