Navigating life after multiple amputations: a qualitative exploration of rehabilitation and everyday challenges in Norway.
Nina Enersen, Daniel Løke, Kirsti Skavberg Roaldsen and 1 others
PMID 40852689WHAT IT FOUND
Five people with multiple amputations described life as a constant negotiation with dependence.
They felt trapped without prosthetics and burdened by training caregivers. Community rehabilitation often failed them with short sessions and lack of expertise, leaving them to fight for basic services.
Key findings
01Participants described an embodied sense of entrapment and helplessness when not wearing prosthetics, viewing their disabled bodies as an inescapable cage.
02Receiving home care was experienced as deeply invasive, with participants bearing the burden of training new caregivers on intimate routines and preferences.
03Community rehabilitation services were described as lacking expertise and continuity, with some participants receiving only fifteen minutes of prosthetic training per week.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (five participants), limiting the transferability of findings. The group was predominantly female (four women, one man) and all had amputations due to sepsis, which may not reflect the experiences of trauma survivors or men. Recruitment was via convenience sampling through a user organization, potentially biasing results toward those with stronger opinions or better social connections. Analysis was primarily conducted by a single researcher, introducing potential bias despite team discussions. Findings are situated within the Norwegian universal healthcare system, which may differ significantly from other countries' service structures.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital and The Birgit and Rolf Sunnaas Memorial Fund, Norway. The authors declared financial support was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalize these experiences to all people with multiple amputations. The study involved only five people, mostly women, with amputations caused by sepsis within a specific public healthcare system, so it does not represent the broader population or other causes like trauma.