Is Pain Management Genetic

Sunday, December 05 2010 - , , , - 0 comments

As an amputee, one of the issues you may have to face is Phantom pain . How well an amputee is able to deal with phantom pain will likely have a large impact on both their quality of life and medical needs going forward. A recent study posted over at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences purports to have found a causal link between the gene SCN9A and a person’s response to pain. The study available here in PDF found a strong link between the SCN9A gene and pain response. One part of the study was a group of 100 Danish amputees who experienced phantom pain: Cohort 3: Phantom pain....

Biomechanics of Amputee Running Revealed

Tuesday, November 09 2010 - , , - 0 comments

If you’ve ever watched an amputee walk or run you will typically be struck by the somewhat lopsided gate that they use. If you study enough amputees you will notice that the actual alteration of their biomechanical stride varies, sometimes significantly from person to person. Over at the amputeerunning blog there is a study entitled Biomechanics of a Trans-Tibial Amputee Running Gait Compared to Normal Written by Ilse Vermeulen in 2001 with the goal of: The aim of this assignment is a greater understanding of the biomechanical adaptations used by TTA runners. This is an interesting study for any...

Artificial Foot Makes Walking Easier for Amputee By Recycling Energy

Thursday, November 04 2010 - , , - 0 comments

Developers of a new artificial foot that recycles energy that is otherwise lost between steps say that it will make it easier for amputees to walk. A typical prosthesis doesn't reproduce the force a living ankle exerts to push off of the ground. As a result, test subjects spent 23 percent more energy walking with a conventional prosthetic foot, compared with walking naturally Based upon tests conducted by the developers, the test subjects, wearing their prosthetic foot used an average of 14 percent more energy walking than they did normally. While 14 percent is a large amount, it’s significantly...

Using Virtual Worlds to Help Amputees

Monday, October 25 2010 - , , - 0 comments

Back in 1998 the results of an experiment was published that showed how a rubber hand could be used to trigger false responses in test subjects. Each of ten subjects was seated with their left arm resting upon a small table. A standing screen was positioned beside the arm to hide it from the subject’s view and a life-sized rubber model of a left hand and arm was placed on the table directly in front of the subject. The subject sat with eyes fixed on the artificial hand while we used two small paintbrushes to stroke the rubber hand and the subject’s hidden hand, synchronizing the timing of the brushing...

Visiting Walt Disney World as an Amputee

Friday, October 22 2010 - , , - 0 comments

Disney is by far one of the best setup and run theme parks when it comes to accommodating and working with those who have difficulty standing in lines or waiting for long periods. Let’s face it, Disney is all about lines and waiting. We took two young ones to Disney for a week this summer and were pleasantly surprised at the experience. Before we left we got a note from our doctor basically saying that standing for long periods and sitting still for long periods was problematic, just in case the graphite and steel leg didn’t make that abundantly obvious. When we arrived at The Magic Kingdom we...

Using Amputee Nerves to Give back Control

Friday, October 15 2010 - , , - 0 comments

One of the more interesting aspects of amputation is the sensation of Phantom Pain, which can vary from annoying to down right agonizing. The Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL) laboratory is currently experimenting with the use of "targeted reinnervation" to improve the lives of amputees. They are taking nerves that were used in the control and sensing of the amputated limb and connecting them to other parts of the body. During this process they discovered that feeling as well as motion can be impacted. “The first example of sensory reinnervation actually happened...

Amputees Learning to Surf

Tuesday, October 12 2010 - , - 0 comments

Out at Pismo Beach the Association of Amputee Surfers aptly named Ampsurf is providing Learn to Surf clinics running this Friday through Thursday (already past). Check out their web site for more details: www.ampsurf.org . Some images are available via the sanluisobispo.com site: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/09/12/1285907/photos-surfing-through-disability.html...

Shark Attack Survivors Lobby UN

Tuesday, October 12 2010 - , , - 0 comments

Interesting Video/Story up on MSN this morning about shark attack survivors (many are amputees) and how they are working to try and protect the very creatures that changed their lives. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39154890/ns/us_news-environment/?Gt1=43001

Amputee Should Hide Their Prosthetic Legs From the General Public

Thursday, October 07 2010 - , , - 0 comments

In a post title “Inconsiderate amputees”, Jeff Corbett posits that amputees, male ones mostly, are being inconsiderate by not attempting to better conceal their prosthetic leg: This year on my return I report to you a new low, the sporting by male amputees of metal legs that make absolutely no attempt to present themselves as a proper leg. It is very likely that you too have been confronted by one of the contraptions of stainless steel rods, springs and levers. I would love to be able to say that he wrote this tongue in cheek, but I have experience with this one, here in the US. An amputee I know...

Casting Call for Amputees

Wednesday, October 06 2010 - - 0 comments

No really… These are the first 2 character she is looking for: Gender: 2 Males Age: in their early 20’s SPECIAL NOTES: MUST be an amputee of a leg and an arm/hand. The Third is: Gender: Little girl Age: 6 year old girl SPECIAL NOTE: Who is missing a leg. Lori Wyman Casting is looking to fill these rolls for a movie.   Posted over on http://www.showbizextras.com/casting_notices/dolphin-cn090610/ ....