Losing a Limb in an Accident
Losing a limb – from a toe to your entire leg – can have long-term impact on your quality of life. After losing a limb in a traumatic accident, you may experience suffering both physically and emotionally for years after your amputation.
The physical effects of losing a limb can be permanently disabling, even with the use of advanced prosthetics.
Some of the common long-term issues with losing a limb include:
- phantom pain or “Phantom Limbs”
- stump pain
- infection of amputation site resulting in further amputation
- neuromas
Proper care of the stump area, as well as good physical therapy for prosthesis use, is important to avoid some of these common problems.
The emotional impact of amputation
You may also be affected emotionally after losing a limb. It’s not unusual for someone who has suffered amputation to experience depression or anxiety after their injury. Victims may be subject to discrimination or ridicule from insensitive individuals. The inability to perform once familiar tasks can also cause frustration and anger.
Many accident victims who have suffered loss of limb may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) where they experience flashbacks of their accident. The amputated limb serves as a daily reminder of the event which can often exacerbate the symptoms of PTSD. Therapy is often a recommended treatment for these incidents.
