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Residual limb water exercise fin

Rachel finds her shinfinTM fins great for moving better in the water, and for exercising her residual limb to build strength ready for using a prosthetic. She likes wearing one fin on her below knee amputation stump and kicking holding a float in front of her. Kicking with just her residual limb ensures that it does all the work. Furthermore, she finds this technique also builds her core strength because her core strength stops her rotating in the water. When she tried kicking without her shinfinTM fin, she found she didn’t seem to move anywhere! Later, she also started using her shinfinTM fin for front crawl, enjoying going faster. She plans to experiment wearing two shinfinTM fins in the pool, and also to swim in the sea.

Rachel’s tibia is slightly protruding at the end of her stump. So she wears a modified diving sock to pad her stump, to stop it rubbing on the fin. Padding options include stump socks, neoprene knee supports and sleeves, wetsuits, and sleeves cut from wetsuit legs, arms and socks.

Rachel’s review from Oxford, UK

“I’ve been enjoying using the shinfinTM fin, which has enabled me to exercise my residual limb more and to move better in the water. So I wanted to find a way to exercise my residual limb, by increasing it’s resistance in the water, to maintain and build strength ready for using a prosthetic. Swimming with a float, leaving my healthy leg floating in the water, so my residual limb has to do all of the work. Initially, I tried doing this without a shinfinTM fin, but I didn’t seem to move anywhere!”

“You recommend wearing shinfinTM fins on both legs. I haven’t done this yet, because I specifically wanted to work my residual limb really hard. Also, I find when swimming with just one shinfinTM fin, that I am using my core strength to stop me rotating in the water, which is also very useful exercise!”

6 months later: “I’m getting on really well with the fin. I still only wear one and I mainly use it to exercise my residual limb, by swimming with a float and only using that leg. I’ve started doing a few lengths front crawl and I enjoy being able to go faster. I’m slowly increasing the number of lengths I do with the fin. It’s a great product and I’m really glad I found it.”

Rachel’s review: Water exercises for residual limb with fin on below knee stump

“I live in the UK and recently purchased and started using a shinfinTM fin on my below knee stump. On the whole I’ve been really pleased, apart from some discomfort where the end of my tibia, which is slightly protruding, rubs on the fin. I’ve ordered some longer straps (which haven’t arrived yet) but I also noticed on your website that you mention neoprene stump socks. I haven’t been able to find these, despite extensive online searching. My physio and prosthetist aren’t aware of any products like this either. Are neoprene stump socks available in Australia? Do you have any other ideas of how I can protect this area of my shin?

“I’ve been enjoying using the shinfinTM fin, which has enabled me to exercise my residual limb more and to move better in the water. It would be great to find a way to continue using it without discomfort. Best wishes.”

Reply

Thank you for your kind email. I’m glad you have been really pleased with your shinfinTM fins. How do you feel they have improved your swimming? I’d love to hear please.

I’m sorry for any confusion, as neoprene stump socks are not a common product description. From what you say, you need some padding where the end of your tibia slightly protrudes. If you don’t want to wear a wetsuit or wetsuit bottoms, other types of neoprene sleeves might suit you. You could cut a sleeve from an old wetsuit leg or arm. Or you could use a neoprene sock and cut the toe area off. Or you could use a product like you see if you search for things like “neoprene knee support” or “neoprene knee sleeve”. I hope this helps you Rachel. Please let me know what you think. Any questions just ask, I am here to help.

Rachel

“I’ve been using a single shinfinTM fin to swim lengths, in order to exercise my residual leg, which has been out of action for a while. In addition to not being able to use my leg for four years prior to my amputation, I have had complications since the amputation. So I haven’t been able to start using a prosthesis yet and I was getting frustrated with how inactive I was, just rolling around in a wheelchair.”

“I started swimming again, but found that my arms seemed to be doing most of the work, just as they are with the wheelchair. So I wanted to find a way to exercise my residual limb, by increasing it’s resistance in the water, to maintain and build strength ready for using a prosthetic. A Google search led me to your website. Now I have the shinfinTM fins, I usually swim a number of lengths without the fin, before putting the shinfinTM fin on my stump and swimming with a float, leaving my healthy leg floating in the water, so my residual limb has to do all of the work. Initially, I tried doing this without a shinfinTM fin, but I didn’t seem to move anywhere! I alternate between fast lengths without the fin and slow lengths using just my residual limb and the shinfinTM fin.”

Fins on both legs

You recommend wearing shinfinTM fins on both legs. I haven’t done this yet, because I specifically wanted to work my residual limb really hard. Also, I find when swimming with just one shinfinTM fin, that I am using my core strength to stop me rotating in the water, which is also very useful exercise!”

“Here is the information on your website that led me to thinking there was such a thing as a neoprene stump sock. I have bought some diving socks and I am going to adapt these instead. After receiving my shinfinTM fins and finding they rubbed on the protruding tibia, I ordered longer straps from you, but these haven’t arrived yet. I’m hoping the longer straps will also help.”

Reply

It is very interesting to hear how even just wearing one shinfinTM fin, at the moment, is helping you to exercise your residual leg. Yes, I do suggest you try wearing your second shinfinTM fin as well, to see how that feels. You may wish to incorporate that into your rehabilitation routines. You can kick with that leg as much or as little as you wish. However hard you choose to kick with that leg, I think it will help to improve your overall body position and balance in the water. One of the main reasons for this, is to get the proper diagonal force balance when your right arm pulls and your left leg kicks down. And then again, when your left arm pulls and your right leg kicks down.

Can I ask a favour please? Would you mind if I put some extracts from your emails on the website? I like the way you have written. I think it would be useful for other people to read what you have said. I’ll improve the wording about the “stump socks” thank you. Please let me know how you go. I will do my best to help you to get the best from your fin(s).

Rachel

“I’m happy for you to use extracts from my emails on your website. Many thanks for your help.”

Reply

Thank you for your kind permission Rachel. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it. I look forward to hearing how you go over your next few exercise sessions.

Rachel (6 months later)

“I’m getting on really well with the fin. I still only wear one and I mainly use it to exercise my residual limb, by swimming with a float and only using that leg.”

“I’ve started doing a few lengths front crawl and I enjoy being able to go faster, but I sometimes end up brushing my good leg with the edges of the fin. I usually swim twice a week and do most of my lengths without the fin, but I’m slowly increasing the number of lengths I do with the fin.”

“It’s also slightly complicated by the fact that flippers are banned at the pool I use. So whilst they have made an exception for me to use the fin, I tend to fit my fin wearing lengths whenever there are less people in my lane.”

“It’s a great product and I’m really glad I found it. I do struggle with adjusting the straps in the pool. So I tend to pull it on and off without using the straps, which can be a bit uncomfortable. I haven’t worn it in the sea yet, but I look forward to trying that next spring!”

Reply

Great to hear you are still getting on really well with one fin. I’d love to hear your feedback whenever you try transitioning to two fins for comparison. And when you try swimming in the sea too.

Some pools ban foot flippers because they stick out behind you and take up more lane space. Also, they can hurt other swimmers if you kick them. Of course, shinfinTM fins have none of these disadvantages. They don’t stick out behind you and all their edges are soft and flexible.

I’m sorry you have been struggling with adjusting the straps in the water. It is easier to wet the fin and adjust the straps sitting by the poolside. Is it possible for you to do this? If you still have difficulties after checking through these fitting tips, please let me know what you still find difficult. So I can help you better.

Conclusion

If you are an amputee, shinfinTM fins will give you smoother movement in the water and great exercise to strenghten your residual limb. To specifically strengthen your residual limb (e.g. for using a prosthetic), you can wear just one fin on your below knee amputation stump and kick holding a float in front of you. This technique also builds your core strength because your core strength is what stops you rotating in the water. Most likely you will hardly move if you kick like this without a shinfinTM fin. You can of course use wear both shinfinTM fins, at different heights on each leg if needed. Then you can enjoy going faster for front crawl, backstroke or butterfly, in the pool and sea.

If your bone protrudes at the end of your stump, you can wear the fin over a stump pad to stop it rubbing on the fin. Padding options include stump socks, neoprene knee supports and sleeves, wetsuits, and sleeves cut from wetsuit legs, arms and socks. These reviews show shinfinTM fins worn over a neoprene sleeve by a through knee amputee, and worn over socks to protect sensitive thin skin.

shinfinTM fins are highly beneficial for many people with many different amputations and disabilities. This below knee amputee says shinfinTM fins have changed her life. Other reviews show fantastic help for chronic lower limb pain and dramatically improved balance after a head injury.