Researchers at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) are exploring a new training method to smooth the path to rehabilitation and recovery after amputation. Their walking regimen will help determine if prosthesis users gain more confidence walking on uneven surfaces, rather than current rehabilitation practices that focus primarily on navigating flat surfaces.
“This has greater implications than just a training program,” said Jenny Kent, PhD, CSci, an assistant professor with the university’s School of Integrated Health Sciences. “It might encourage clinicians to integrate different surfaces into their exercises and encourage individuals to attempt to safely walk on uneven surfaces rather than avoiding them.”
Kent is working with Szu-Ping Lee, PhD, PT, an associate professor and physical therapy researcher.
Lee acknowledged that the current healthcare environment for those with amputations, specifically for a new amputee, is difficult to navigate and can cause frustration once the patient is out of rehab.
“In a lot of rehab settings, everything is safe and accessible. Think about those parallel bars. If you fall, you can grab those bars. But in the real world, you don’t have those bars, and a lot of the time, the patient falls on the ground. The rehab is somewhat disconnected to real-life situations,” Lee said.
The research team is also investigating how peer support should be incorporated into post-amputation rehab.
“We’ve found that people who receive peer support have better mobility outcomes. They have told us they move around better,” Lee said. “These support groups are not a replacement for physical therapy, but at the very least, they are able to talk to people they can relate to.”
The researchers meet monthly with prosthesis users at a local support group to ensure the focus remains on the users’ needs.
“There is a relatively small population of individuals with major limb amputation, so it’s difficult to recruit for research. People with greater mobility limitations are also less likely to come to participate in our studies because it is hard for them to get around in the first place,” Kent said.
The work is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence through the National Institutes of Health.
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by UNLV.
