The Congressional Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing on November 20 titled “Life After Limb Loss: Examining VA Amputee Prosthetics Care.”
The American Legion submitted a Statement for the Record for the hearing suggesting the Veterans Administration (VA) should engage in research and innovation so veterans with amputations regain independence. The American Legion highlighted veterans’ stories, discussed alternative treatments, and encouraged access to adaptive sports.
“The lack of age/gender-appropriate resources for young veterans must be addressed,” it read. “Alternatives to opioids must be made readily available to veterans who suffer from spinal cord injuries and chronic pain. Access to alternative treatments for polytrauma—such as PTG virtual reality therapy, adaptive sports, and recreation prosthetics—must be increased and additional research funded. VA and [the Department of Defense] need to work more closely in helping to ease the burden of transitioning servicemembers who require prosthetic maintenance, training, and rehabilitation.”
The theory of post-traumatic growth (PTG) suggests that people can rebuild their foundation by believing they are not defined by what has happened to them, i.e., positive psychological change can occur after experiencing a traumatic event. PTG therapies often pursue new experiences to take advantage of the increased neuroplasticity of patients following trauma.
To watch a recording of the hearing, visit the Subcommittee on Health Oversight Hearing on YouTube.
Documents from the hearing can be found on the Committee Hearings page on Congress.gov.
To read the American Legion statement, visit “Legion calls for research, innovation to help amputees.”
