81: Life After Limb Loss

This edition has been funded by the MacRobert Trust and the Forces in Mind Trust. Hundreds of veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sustained injuries leading to the loss of one or more limbs. In the second of this Airing Pain miniseries on pain management for ex-service men and women we look at the support available to help amputees rebuild their lives. At the Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) in Preston Gregg Stevenson tells Producer Paul Evans about his two-year journey towards regaining mobility and adjusting to civilian life after losing his lower legs in an explosion. Thanks to prosthetic legs, a dedicated team of healthcare professionals and his own determination, Gregg is now a personal trainer helping others in similar situations. Dr Fergus Jepson, who oversees the medical care at SMRC, explains why getting a prosthetic limb is just the first step on the road to recovery. Candy Bamford, the Centre’s Counselling Psychotherapist, describes how she helps veterans to control their pain and confront traumatic memories by using psychological techniques better suited to the military background of her patients than the more typical ‘talking therapies’. Contributors:  Dr Fergus Jepson, Consultant in Amputee Rehabilitation Medicine, Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC), Preston  Candy Bamford, Counselling Psychologist, SMRC, Preston  Gregg Stevenson, Personal Trainer, SMRC, Preston.

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