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Balance and posture issues after amputation

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 5/15/2019 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, not sure if this is the right place to post this but it's worth a try. I had been involved in a very severe industrial accident 2 years and 3 days ago. Since then, my blood pressure has raised, and I've noticed I "wobble" and lean to my right while resting, walking and standing (right side was where my surgery occurred). Noticed the unpredictable wobble while walking soon after (though sometimes I feel like my posture and 'walk' are fine) and I also naturally push my right shoulder forward. But recently my back and neck have been painful. Initially I thought I slept bad, but back pain is in week 2 and neck pain in day 5. Turning neck certain ways causes the back pain, or just straining too far irritates the back. Worried it's taking a toll on my hip and back. Is there any possible correlation between the loss of my arm and body pain and continuing poor posture?
Thanks!

Post Edited (Icantdoit) : 5/15/2019 5:39:24 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/16/2019 9:05 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. I have not had an amputation but have plenty of shoulder issues. I do notice some similarities. When I have to 'rest' my shoulder by keeping my hand in a pocket and not letting the arm swing, it changes my gait. When I sit, I tend to 'curl' in toward the hurting side. When it stops hurting...I 'forget' that I don't have to protect it and continue to curl it in. It is not easy to remember to push the shoulders back and down...I tend to 'lift' mine a lot of the time. Definitely affects my neck and back.

Have you considered having a physical therapist work with you again? They can 'map' so many body mechanics now and develop a program to help you with any issues.
Posted 5/16/2019 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your reply. That does sound similar to what I'm experiencing in a few ways. The reason why my shoulder naturally pushes forward is the lack of weight (or I've been told) and eventually I'm hoping a prosthetic will help with that, at least somewhat. I also curl to the right which I think might be another weight distribution issue. Have you had or do you worry about your back or hips in response to the conscience leaning to one side? I'm 25, so don't think I should be worried about these issues. But, I've definitely experienced much more pain recently and am aware of my poor posture. I had my shoulder x-rayed and the outward joint is slightly misaligned. The x-ray tech said it was fine, but my doctor was mildly concerned and said he was not opposed to an MRI. The end of the collar bone and top shoulder joint overlap (apologies, don't know the specific terms. Just going off the images) and when I press on it, there is what feels like a hole where bone should be. I guess it's possible the pain is due to the initial accident (I wouldn't be surprised if additional damage occurred, given the intensity of the accident) but has recently started. So just am not sure. Thanks again, and take care!
Posted 5/17/2019 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
The weight idea makes sense. My last surgery on my right shoulder was in 2001. Since then, in 2015, I was hit by a slow moving pick up truck and 'spun around' without falling, but the impact was on my right upper extremity. Then, 2 weeks later, I was knocked down by my daughters dog at the dog park and put out my right arm to stop the fall...causing a grade 5 separation of the joint. I'm missing the last 1 to 1 & 1/2 inches of my collar bone from the last surgery, so this complicates the separation issue. When the surgeon 'reshaped' the clavicular/acromium space, my body continued to reabsorb bone tissue, leaving me with the loss of the end of the bone...and less attachment area for the ligaments. Thus, the arm hangs in the socket awkwardly.

You might consider wearing a back brace. Mine prevents me from 'sloppy posture', helping me to keep the spine straight and the shoulders back. I still have the tendency to 'lift' the shoulders and have to concentrate about lowering them. Sometimes, I have to literally push the collar bone down to get relief from the tension/pain. I looked into having cadaver tissue grafted to 'tie it down' but had waited too long to see the surgeon...the odds of it succeeding were less than 50/50...so I remain 'as is'. While I must be careful not to reinjure...I won't let it keep me from doing the things I love!

Keep us updated on how things are going!
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