American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 15, 2019

Staying Physically Active Can Be a Challenge for Adults with Amputation

Mark Sederberg, DO, presented a research abstract on the rarely studied topic of exercise rates in the amputee population at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine in Houston, TX.

There is very little, if any, data on exercise rates for adaptive athletes, and this study highlights the existence of possible barriers to achieving recommended levels of physical activity for disabled persons.

 “Exercise is essential for the prevention and treatment of most common medical conditions from diabetes to hypertension and obesity,” Dr. Sederberg said. “Physicians should talk to their patients about exercise. This is especially important for those with disabilities as they face additional barriers to exercise.”

Dr. Sederberg and his colleagues wanted to evaluate the exercise rates in patients with amputation using a standardized exercise vital sign. For the study, each amputee was asked how many days per week they performed moderate to vigorous intensity exercise, and for how long.

The research included 200 individuals and found that less than one-third of patients with an amputation meet the recommended weekly exercise amount of 150 total minutes. Additionally, increased BMI, increased chronic medical disease burden, female gender, and the lack of a functioning prosthesis were all significantly correlated with less weekly exercise.

“The results of our research shine a light on the under-discussed topic of physical activity in persons with disabilities, specifically in person’s with limb loss,” Dr. Sederberg said. “The finding that those who exercised less had a higher disease burden, higher BMI, and were more likely female highlights populations that may need more attention.

“For these patients, having information ready about adaptive sports and exercise opportunities, and setting realistic goals with their healthcare provider’s support can go a long way in supporting their fitness and well-being.”

If nothing else, these findings indicate that providers should be aware of the barriers to exercise in this population and help them participate in physical activity more often.

For more resources on exercises for persons with disabilities, NCHPAD is a helpful resource https://www.nchpad.org/

About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: The 2019 AMSSM Annual Meeting brings more than 2,000 sports medicine physicians together from throughout the United States and around the world. The meeting theme is, “Small Steps and Giant Leaps in Sports Medicine,” and explores the great accomplishments, evolving technology and the accumulation of new knowledge in the field of sports medicine.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of more than 3,800 sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic and Paralympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org