Although the most memorable sight of people wearing running blades is when they participate in the Olympics or Paralympics, these prosthetic devices can make a significant difference in the lives of children. Some young patients lost one or more limbs at an age when they were not yet proficient at walking, much less running. Giving them these blades allows them to be more active, and, as a result, happier and better adjusted. If some child in your family has artificial limbs, you should investigate getting them running blades.
Team Effort
Not everyone is a candidate for this apparatus. The patient must have a socket that fits their stump or stumps well so that they will not be damaged during strenuous activity. In addition, patients must be prepared to develop a strong core. In order to prepare for blades, the patient needs to consult with their prosthetist and physical therapist for help in proper preparation. Children will especially need to be carefully evaluated for their readiness and commitment for such a change.
Enhanced Mobility
Although children who receive blades still use their regular "legs," they usually don their blades for activities such as running, skateboarding, cycling, and even swimming. The blades are designed to provide extra traction on the heel which gives children better balance. The blades also help them to get that spring that the joints in natural legs provide. These blades allow children to participate and even excel in athletic activities.
Psychological Benefits
Children with limb loss often suffer psychological difficulties, particularly if they are older when they lose their limbs. They wish they could go back to the time when they were like others their own age. Not being able to participate in the usual activities of childhood only makes their adjustment more difficult. Simply being able to successfully join in group activities goes a long way toward making these children less self-conscious and more self-accepting. When they acquire running blades, the quality of their emotional life often improves.
Obviously, adult athletes can benefit from running blades. In fact, some of these amputees have found international success competing on the "regular" sports circuits. As important as that development is, giving children the chance to have an active and well-rounded childhood is more important. If a child in your life wears a lower limb prosthesis, investigate how running blades can benefit them. For many of these children, running blades open up a whole new world.
Read more about artificial limbs here.
Share29 February 2016
I knew that my hearing wasn’t as good as it had once been, but I was still upset when my doctor told me that I had a significant hearing loss in both ears, and that I was going to need hearing aids if I wanted to participate more fully in my day to day life. But then I started researching hearing aids. I was thrilled to find out that there were small, barely visible aids that could help me hear without marking me as hearing impaired on first glance. Even better, the hearing aids were much more advanced than I’d thought. The ones that I chose can actually help cancel out environmental noise, like the clatter of a loud restaurant, so that I can focus on conversation with the waitress or the person across the table. My hearing aids have really improved my life.
