But one year, her RA flared up just as she was approaching the planting window. Distraught, Ada reached out to her rheumatologist, who prescribed a customized hand and wrist splint to help keep her fingers in alignment and manage her pain. The customization ensured Ada’s splint fit her perfectly. It was just what she needed to get out in her garden and start putting out the first round of spring flowers. She could work with minimal pain, and she didn’t miss her planting window: by mid-June, her garden was flourishing.
Getting Active Again: Cycling with a Prosthetic Hand Now, let’s look at another patient, whom we’ll call Samantha. Samantha struggled after her arm amputation, especially with getting enough physical activity. Before her amputation, she had biked everywhere, whether to work or to grab some groceries. In fact, she rarely used her car! But after her surgery, she was surprised at how difficult it was for her to get back on a bike. Her amputation was below her elbow, but her everyday prosthetic simply didn’t allow her to grip the handlebar as needed. We showed her an array of specialty prosthetics, including options with an attachment allowing her to wrap around the bike’s handlebar. Samantha was sold — this was exactly what she was looking for.
Once we fitted her with her new prosthetic, Samantha could go biking regularly again, just in time for spring.
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