{"id":10137,"date":"2024-03-25T09:31:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T09:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/?p=10137"},"modified":"2024-03-25T09:31:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T09:31:25","slug":"learning-life-in-sport-with-one-less-limb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/2024\/03\/25\/learning-life-in-sport-with-one-less-limb\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Life in Sport with One Less Limb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\">A backstory&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/IMG_5209-1024x992.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10146\" width=\"415\" height=\"404\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>When I was young, my Granny lost her arm to amputation. Since then, I\u2019ve watched her struggle, relearn, and grasp the basic skills to be able to live an almost normal life again. I&#8217;ve always been proud of how she reshaped her life, and since mine revolves so much around sports, I couldn\u2019t imagine coping with a lost limb. This is until I met South African elite para-triathlete, Mhlengi Gwala. He told me\u00a0about his\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/africa\/56365552\">backstory<\/a>\u00a0how he tragically lost his leg and the work he\u2019s done to get to where he is today. I instantly became fascinated with the rehabilitation he endured so I explored deeper into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"South African triathlete, Mhlengi Gwala&#039;s chainsaw horror story\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V7s2dAv38sc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WARNING: Sensitive Content.<br>A short video on Mhlengi Gwala&#8217;s Backstory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\">The Road to Recovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Prediction times for the return to sport after amputation were studied by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/264054392_Return_to_sport_following_amputation\">Matthews et al<\/a>. I learnt that it\u2019s hard to give an exact period on how long amputation recovery will take, let alone getting back into sports. This is due to factors like what limb was amputated, stump length, the cause, and sport. Think about when you were a baby, you learnt to walk before you learnt to run. The same idea applies to athletes with leg amputations.\u00a0According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pamhealth.com\/company\/company-updates\/life-after-amputation-what-to-expect-for-the-new-amputee\">Pam Health,<\/a>\u00a0there\u2019re 3 main components to the healing process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\" start=\"1\">\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Physical therapy and rehabilitation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.58.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10158\" width=\"374\" height=\"109\" srcset=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.58.jpeg 864w, https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.58-300x88.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.58-768x226.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Methods of rehabilitation for walking, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medstarhealth.org\/services\/amputee-rehabilitation\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.medstarhealth.org\/services\/amputee-rehabilitation\">using bars (left)<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/treatment-tests-and-therapies\/amputation\/amputation-recovery-and-rehabilitation\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/treatment-tests-and-therapies\/amputation\/amputation-recovery-and-rehabilitation\">treadmill (right)<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>During surgery, all unwanted parts of the bone and muscles are removed, and the healthy muscle is reattached to the remaining bone. The amputees need to rebuild strength and flexibility within these muscles and learn to use their prosthetic (if one\u2019s needed) with the help of physiotherapists and rehabilitation teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\" start=\"2\">\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Managing the risk of complications<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.59.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10159\" width=\"228\" height=\"145\" srcset=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.59.jpeg 526w, https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-15.59-300x189.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/prkhuman\/amputations-24685849\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/prkhuman\/amputations-24685849\">Different amputation complications<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Commonly, amputees will run into complications during recovery. These include\u00a0things like infection, stump pain, phantom pain, etc, which require additional treatment.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\" start=\"3\">\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Gaining mobility and independence<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-16.00.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10160\" width=\"261\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-16.00.jpeg 456w, https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-13-03-2024-at-16.00-300x212.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photos\/amputee-walking\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photos\/amputee-walking\">An amputee living independently<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">Lastly, when the amputee becomes confident enough with the new adjustments, they&#8217;re able to live independently.\u00a0In Mhlengi\u2019s case, he knew that he wanted to get back to racing, and I believe that having something to work towards helped him through recovery and to become a new upcoming para-triathlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-white-color has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\">Is the Price of Sporting Prosthetics Fair?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/481\/2024\/03\/Image-3-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10168\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/imgres?q=sporting%20prosthetic&amp;imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmcopro.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2F170925-D-DB155-091D-e1561575867770.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmcopro.com%2Fblog%2Fresources%2Fsports-prosthetics-a-guide-for-amputee-athletes%2F&amp;docid=lhrDVWJ-9PHCwM&amp;tbnid=u9-w5PUh5cAa2M&amp;vet=12ahUKEwixr8qJqfKEAxXygP0HHVG2AzoQM3oECBQQAA..i&amp;w=600&amp;h=337&amp;hcb=2&amp;ved=2ahUKEwixr8qJqfKEAxXygP0HHVG2AzoQM3oECBQQAA\">Prosthetic for Running<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p> I mentioned that I was studying biomedical engineering to Mhlengi, who replied \u201cYou\u2019re going to be rich, these aren\u2019t cheap\u201d. According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/livingwithamplitude.com\/article\/why-prosthetics-cost-so-much-amputees\/\">Alan Hutchison, a leg prosthetic can cost up to $60,000<\/a>. Shocked, I researched why, looking specifically at running prosthetics. A para-athlete with a leg amputation will generally have two different prosthetics because when running or jumping, you\u2019re applying a larger impact force onto your legs. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mcopro.com\/blog\/resources\/sports-prosthetics-a-guide-for-amputee-athletes\/\">sporting prosthetic<\/a>\u00a0must be able to withstand this, therefore it\u2019s constructed into a curve using carbon fibre and custom-made to fit the stump depending on size, shape, and whether the amputation occurred above or below the knee. Taking these into account, it makes sense why the prosthetic is expensive but it\u2019s still debatable whether this price is too high, especially for someone who&#8217;s already faced tragedy. Luckily for Mhlengi, he had many supporters on his side who helped him get to where he is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-white-color has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\">Summary <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always respected para-athletes for what they do, but I&#8217;ve never appreciated the process they endure to be able to do these things. Through this research, I&#8217;ve realised that \u201cgetting back on your feet\u201d takes a lot of patience, not only through rehab but also in acquiring the prosthetic to begin with, however, it&#8217;s amazing what can be achieved when you&#8217;re driven by the things you love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A backstory&#8230; When I was young, my Granny lost her arm to amputation. Since then, I\u2019ve watched her struggle, relearn, and grasp the basic skills to be able to live an almost normal life again. I&#8217;ve always been proud of how she reshaped her life, and since mine revolves so much around sports, I couldn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assessed-item-1"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10137"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10960,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10137\/revisions\/10960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}