New Rehabilitation Center Specializes in Limb-loss Therapies

LUDLOW — Limb loss is a life-changing experience that carries unique challenges. Patients and families who are facing this sensitive situation now can find compassionate, specialized support at the region’s only independent limb-loss rehabilitation center.

Amped Rehab will open in late June at 40 East St. in Ludlow, providing intensive, comprehensive therapies for patients of all ages who have undergone amputation. With advanced technology and staff expertise, the new center will guide each patient on a personalized journey toward maximal independence and optimal quality of life.

“Our professionals are deeply committed to this area of rehab and to helping our patients overcome obstacles,” said Katie MacGregor, clinical director. “When we meet a patient, we see capability, strength, and potential. Our job is to help the patient see it, too.”

While many area rehabilitation centers offer amputee programs and services, no other regional facility is specifically dedicated to this distinctive rehabilitative realm.

Amped Rehab will work with patients from the start and for as long as services are needed, MacGregor said. From preoperative consultation through community reintegration and beyond, patients will receive complete and ongoing support. Common therapeutic areas include strength, balance, and flexibility; gait training and mobility; activity tolerance; pain management and desensitization techniques; safety, fall prevention, and home-management skills; independence and community mobility; skin care; and assessment and appropriate use of prosthetic devices.

MacGregor, an experienced physical therapist, will collaborate with licensed massage therapist Julia Davis and certified hypnotherapist Robin Davis for an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. A patient’s customized team also may include a prosthetist or orthotist, a physiatrist, a wellness trainer, or other healthcare professionals in the community as needed.

“We use diverse techniques and tools, including modern therapies and traditional hands-on interventions, to help individuals adapt and thrive,” MacGregor said, adding that Amped Rehab uses Solo-Step, a state-of-the-art track and harness system that ensures patients’ safety while building their confidence.

Amped Rehab will be open Monday through Friday and welcomes new patients. A physical-therapy referral from a healthcare provider is required. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (413) 276-6123.