Prosthetic Leg Wearing Schedule

Before taking home the prosthetic leg, you will learn how to put it on and take it off, and you will also practice walking with it.

Once you take it home, your prosthetist will provide you with a wearing schedule that is important to follow, as it helps acclimate your residual limb to the prosthesis. Similar to how, when exercising, you work your way up to more difficult workouts, you also need to train your residual limb to the prosthesis.

While you may wish to go right to wearing your prosthetic leg all the time, it is crucial to follow the wearing schedule and not overdo it, as that may result in pain and potential injury. It takes a lot of time, strength, effort, and patience to learn to use a prosthesis, which is why the wearing schedule is important to avoid overdoing it.

Some individuals find it easier to use a cane or crutch as they learn to walk with a prosthesis because it’s a significant learning curve as you learn how to use the device and practice your balance, coordination, and gait. The cane or crutch can help provide stability as you learn to properly use your prosthesis and avoid placing unnecessary stress on the body due to an improper gait.

Once the wearing schedule is complete and your residual limb becomes fully acclimated to the prosthetic leg, you may wear your prosthesis all day. However, it is important to never wear it while sleeping.