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From: Chuck on 6 Mar 2008 09:08
Sound odd but for lower limb amputees it makes sense. If you don't watch
your diet and caloric intake (eat too much) you will gain weight. If you
gain weight, the diameter of your residual limb (stump) grows bigger. If
the diameter of your residual limb grows, you wont be able to fit down
inside your socket as far which in effect makes you taller on that side. If
you are taller on one side it may give you a pain in the back because your
hips are tilted. The whole point is, be aware of your daily fit and adjust
yourself with more or less cotton limb socks as needed. For "suction" folks
I don't know how to adjust how far you get down in the socket. Anyway as
little as 1/8" difference can really throw a person off. All AK amputees
know that if they just step on the smallest item on their bad side they will
sense the height difference!

From: Moe Jones on 6 Mar 2008 14:16
Chuck wrote:
> Sound odd but for lower limb amputees it makes sense. If you don't
> watch your diet and caloric intake (eat too much) you will gain
> weight. If you gain weight, the diameter of your residual limb
> (stump) grows bigger. If the diameter of your residual limb grows,
> you wont be able to fit down inside your socket as far which in
> effect makes you taller on that side. If you are taller on one side
> it may give you a pain in the back because your hips are tilted. The
> whole point is, be aware of your daily fit and adjust yourself with
> more or less cotton limb socks as needed. For "suction" folks I
> don't know how to adjust how far you get down in the socket. Anyway
> as little as 1/8" difference can really throw a person off. All AK
> amputees know that if they just step on the smallest item on their
> bad side they will sense the height difference!

That makes sense. I personally found that the more I stay out of my
wheelchair and do more walking in my prosthesis, my weight gain is not as
bad as when I stay in the chair.
--
Moe Jones
http://www.hal-pc.org/~moejones
Benefit for Tina 04/12/08 http://www.hal-pc.org/~moejones/TinaBenefit.html


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