REABILITAÇÃO E AUTOCONFIANÇA: O PAPEL DA FISIOTERAPIA NA VIDA DE AMPUTADOS DE MEMBROS INFERIORES
Authors: Coelho Dabia Rafaela Costa , Paulino Júnior Edson Inácio , Silva Eduardo de Almeida , Forest Bruno Bonfim 
Published: December 2024

Physiotherapy plays a fundamental role in the rehabilitation and adaptation process of amputees. By providing physical, emotional and educational support to amputees, multidisciplinary work enables patients to recover by promoting lost functionality until they adapt to the physical and emotional transformations and are able to live fully and actively again. In addition, the physiotherapeutic approach is multifaceted and involves several techniques, including gait training, strengthening exercises, manual therapy and psychological support. These interventions are essential to help patients overcome the challenges related to the use of the prosthesis and the recovery of functionality. Thus, the main objective of this study is to analyze the importance of physiotherapy in the rehabilitation of patients using lower limb prostheses, highlighting the gains in mobility, adaptation to the prosthetic device and quality of life, emphasizing as a focus of the problem what are the impacts of physiotherapy on the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees in terms of mobility, adaptation to the prosthesis and quality of life? This study is characterized as a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) field research, carried out in a rehabilitation center specialized in lower limb prostheses in Brazil. This mixed approach allowed a more comprehensive analysis, combining numerical data with subjective perceptions of the participants. Thus, continuous and personalized physiotherapy monitoring based on measurements and field research reiterated the beneficial benefits of adaptation to the prosthesis in the lower limbs when considering the fit, comfort and functionality, and when taking into account the gait training and the established strengthening exercises. Transtibial and femoral amputation has represented not only a surgical intervention, but also a long readaptation treatment, that is, a milestone in the lives of affected individuals, which brings significant challenges. Rehabilitation begins in the preoperative period, progresses to the prosthesis fitting, and continues beyond these events, being crucial for the functional/emotional recovery of patients. Understanding the various stages of treatment and having a comprehensive rehabilitation plan are essential factors for promoting a new quality of life, which is possible for amputees, as demonstrated in the evaluations completed by patients portrayed in the various graphs representing responses to the questionnaires applied. The aim is therefore to carry out continuous and personalized physiotherapy monitoring to promote significant improvements in mobility, self-confidence and quality of life of amputee patients who use lower limb prostheses; and through treatment, a key factor for successful adaptation to the prosthesis, to facilitate the return to daily activities and promote greater functional independence. The research should also demonstrate improvements in the emotional well-being of patients, with a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety when considering the necessary psychological monitoring.