Treating & Rehabilitating Amputees
Our cutting-edge program at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is unique for its focus on a continuum of amputee care and technological sophistication. Our team of highly skilled experts will work to improve your mobility and function through a variety of approaches from preserving your foot and limb health to maximizing your adapted skill sets with a prosthetic limb (artificial leg or arm). We have a broad array of advanced medical treatments, therapies, and prosthetic technologies available to you.
We are actively creating the next generation of prosthetics through a close collaboration between University of Utah Health and the College of Engineering. Some of those prosthetics are used by our patients to achieve what was previously unimaginable.
We believe in a holistic style of care and work hard to help every patient reach their personal, professional, and recreational goals. While your life and body may be different after amputation, we believe you can and should live well.
MORE THAN 85%
of amputee patients discharged to the community
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
Neuro Prosthetics research
REHAB BEGINS 21 DAYS QUICKER
than national average for amputee patients
Types of Amputation
Our highly trained team treats amputees who have lost a:
- leg (or part of the limb),
- foot,
- finger,
- hand,
- arm, or
- multiple limbs.
Causes of Amputation
Some patients are born without a portion or all of their limb (congenital limb loss). However, many of our patients experience an arm, leg, or hand amputation for other reasons, which may include:
- diabetes,
- blood or circulation problems,
- bone infection,
- cancer
- foot deformity, and
- trauma.
Many patients lose all or part of a limb due to an accident at work, in a car, or through military combat.
Amputee Rehabilitation: What to Expect
You will receive care from a team of expert specialists who will work closely together to achieve the best outcome for you. Our team is specially trained to help people with amputations improve their movement, strength, and endurance. We will work with you on pain management both before and after amputation and provide counseling, education, and information on community resources.
You may receive care from:
- rehabilitation physicians,
- physical therapists,
- prosthetists (specialists that make artificial limbs),
- occupational therapists,
- surgeons,
- nurses,
- social workers, and
- psychologists.
Services & Treatments
Injection therapy—We specialize in injections for calming nerve and inflammation pain. We use injection therapy if oral medications do not sufficiently target your nerve or inflammation-related pain without adverse side effects.
Pain management—We will help you manage your pain, including residual limb pain (a painful sensation on the remaining part of the limb) and phantom pain (perception of pain in a body part that no longer exists.) We will work tirelessly to diagnose the source of your pain. We believe in treating your pain with a tailored approach that combines medications, biomechanical evaluation, therapies, and psychological treatments.
Physical therapy & occupational therapy—Your rehabilitation therapy will begin while you’re in the hospital. We will start with an exercise program that strengthens your muscles, decreases swelling, and improves your flexibility. Our physical and occupational therapists will help you strengthen your motor skills, reduce your fall risk, and train you to thrive with a prosthetic.
Prosthetic limb fitting—We will help you find the most appropriate prosthetic (artificial body part) for your amputation and lifestyle depending on your activities and goals. We will work closely with prosthetists (specialists that make the artificial limb) to ensure the best possible technological solution. You may need more than one for different purposes such as walking, showering, and running. For people missing a hand or portion of their upper limb, multiple hands may be prescribed for different uses. For example, one for strength and one to move skillfully.
Surgery—Occasionally, a residual limb (the remainng portion of the limb after amputation) has a shape, skin, nerve, or bone problem that can only be resolved with surgery. In these cases, our surgeons can reconstruct the residual limb for optimal success with a prosthetic.
Vocational counseling—We will help you navigate your return to work whether it’s back to your old job or a choosing a different career with the assistance of a case manager. We will also advocate on your behalf with worker’s compensation programs.
Weight loss and nutrition education—We may recommend weight loss programs and suggest seeing a dietitian or, if needed, a weight loss surgeon to increase the success of your rehabilitation and prosthetic use.
Find a Rehabilitation Specialist
Adaptive Equipment for Amputees
Our experts are committed to engineering solutions for our patients to help them live to their fullest potential. Our team takes advantage of the most technologically advanced devices while our researchers are discovering the next generation of prosthetics.
ZeroG—The Craig H. Neilsen Rehabiltation Hospital has the longest ZeroG track system in the nation. It is a robotic body-weight support system connected to an overhead track that is designed to help patients practice walking with no fear of falling.
Eye-gaze technology—We will teach you how to control phones, tablets, computers and other devices with your eyes, which allows you digital independence and participation, social media, video games, E-sports, social media, and surf the internet.
Mobility garage—Patients can bring their vehicle to the hospital and experiment with adaptive controls that help them return to driving independently.
3D printing—We 3D print unique prosthetic hands to provide low-cost alternatives for patients who cannot afford standard options. We also create unique tools and attachments to assist amputee patients with daily living activities.
Outpatient Services
Once you leave the hospital, continuing rehabilitation therapy is essential to helping you return to as many of your normal activities as possible and restore your confidence. You may be able to take advantage of our outpatient Amputee Program through our Sugar House Therapy Services, depending on your insurance coverage and where you live. We will provide:
- occupational and physical therapy,
- assistance with choosing a prosthetic, and
- training to help you adjust to your new prosthetic and use it comfortably.
We will help you improve your balance and skills and work on tasks needed to function during everyday life. We use some of the most advanced equipment in the region such as:
- Overhead track systems that help you improve your balance while wearing a harness to support you.
- Anti-gravity treadmills that will let you practice walking without supporting the full weight of your body.
Driving After an Amputation
Losing a limb does not mean that you will not be able to drive again. Our Drive Rehab Program offers an adapted vehicle specifically for patients with leg or foot amputations. A special pedal system allows you to press the break without using your feet or legs. Our occupational therapists will help assess when you are ready to return to the road.
Long-Term Care
After an amputation and receiving a prosthetic limb, some patients continue to take advantage of our services regularly while others may not need care for a period of years. This is typically determined by the kind of amputation you have and other health challenges.
Amputee Support Groups
We offer a monthly support group for amputees, their family, and caregivers.
Date & Time
Fourth Tuesday of every month (except July) at 7pm
Location
Sugar House Health Center
1280 East Stringham Avenue,
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
For more information, contact Spencer Thompson at spencer.thompson@hsc.utah.edu to confirm dates and times of upcoming meetings.
Meet with Our Amputee Program Specialists
For questions or information on how to meet with our specialists or participate in our inpatient programs at the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, please call our referral line at 801-646-8000. Our referral specialist will work with your current provider to obtain necessary medical records and verify your insurance benefits for coverage.
For outpatient physician clinic questions, call 801-581-2267. For information about Sugar House Therapy Services, call 801-581-2221.
