Is a prosthesis the right choice for me?

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If your leg has been amputated, you have probably also thought the thought: Will I ever walk again? This question is asked by a lot of people who either have to have a leg amputated or who have had a leg amputated.

A leg prosthesis is an aid that replaces the part of the foot or leg that you have had removed. The purpose of a prosthesis is that you can live as normal and active a life as possible. It is a prosthetist that helps you get the right prosthesis.

After you have been discharged from the hospital, you will be contacted by the municipal rehabilitation. Here, together with a physiotherapist, you will start rehabilitation. Your programme can be aimed at a life without prosthesis and a life with prosthesis. If the physiotherapist assesses that you have the potential to rehabilitate towards prosthesis and walking, she will contact a prosthetist. It is a physiotherapist and a prosthetist who, together with you, assess whether a prosthesis is the right solution for you. Whether you are suitable for a prosthesis depends, among other things, on your physique and your commitment.

The prosthetist will speak with you about different types of prostheses. The prosthetist will also ask about your daily life before the amputation, your home and your own expectations for possibly getting a prosthesis, all this to find the best solution for you. It is important to remember that a prosthesis is not the right solution for everyone. Learning to walk with a prosthesis is demanding, and it takes time. A good alternative to a prosthesis is a wheelchair. The municipal rehabilitation provides you with exercises that enable you to function on a daily basis with a wheelchair.

If a prosthesis is the right solution for you, you must send an application to your municipality via the website borger.dk.

Your municipality will then process your application by obtaining the necessary information. The information determines whether you are entitled to a prosthesis and, if so, what type. If your municipality determines that you are to be granted a prosthesis, you can choose your own prosthetist. You can see an overview of prosthetists in Denmark on the website danskebandagister.dk.

For more information go to www.helbredsprofilen.dk