Which One Do You Need to Use

Are you active and just left the softball field with a twisted ankle? Or are you a weekend warrior and just left the emergency room after a sprained knee? Maybe you are a little older and suffered a fall down the stairs injuring your hip and wrist. Do you use a walker, cane, wheelchair, or crutches?

Mobility aids are usually selected based on the type and extent of injury; the support the mobility aid provides; the difficulty of using the aid; and the person's overall fitness. One person with a leg fracture may be able to use crutches, while another with an identical injury may be safer and more mobile with a walker.

While most people think of mobility aids as walking support, most importantly, they allow you to get out of bed. Standing is beneficial to the body – it helps breathing efficiency, increases the production of antibodies that fight infection, reduces the loss of calcium in bones, and allows food to pass through the digestive system more properly and easily than if confined to the bed.

Upsetting, frustrating, embarrassing – all of these and more represent feelings attached to the use of mobility aids. Aids may represent the loss of functions or be a reminder of limitations. But these aids can help you regain previous abilities. They help reduce the pain of movement. Canes, walkers, and wheelchairs are tools that let you live more fully.

Seek professional help in selecting a mobility aid

It is important to seek professional help from a physical therapist or physician to help you select a mobility aid. The following overview lists the benefits of common mobility aids:

This is the easiest to handle and less cumbersome of all mobility aids. The cane adequately allows the patient to achieve balance but should not be used for weight bearing. For patients suffering from a more serious balance deficit, a quad cane (one with four small legs) may be used. Most people do not understand the function of a cane and therefore do not fully benefit from its use. Types of canes include the J-line, swan-neck, quad, and collapsible designs.

Designed to decrease the weight on an extremity, these mobility aids are relatively easy to manage and can help the patient negotiate obstacles. However, significant upper body strength and overall balance are required for their use. Your injury, physical condition, and age may dictate which type of crutch is prescribed. Most non-weight-bearing persons find the underarm crutch more stable and less tiring than other designs. Aluminum underarm crutches are lighter than wooden ones, making them preferable because they save energy.

This stable mobility device can help patients who have significant balance deficits (too severe for a cane). It also successfully reduces the weight borne on the affected extremity. With four legs, the walker offers a relatively lightweight, stable device. When patients can increase their weight-bearing status, they may "graduate" to a rolling walker, which continues to offer balance and moderate weight-bearing assistance. Walkers demand the least coordination.

Often used for patients who have lost all weight-bearing capability, the wheelchair is a useful mobility device. Wheelchairs offer a wider range of activity than canes, walkers, or crutches. If you have extended bed rest, multiple extremity injuries, or are generally out of condition, temporarily renting a wheelchair may be worth considering. They promote independence (getting to the bathroom), enhance safety, and allow participation in business and family functions. Wheelchairs save energy for other tasks.

Progression from one mobility aid to another is expected as strength and abilities increase. From mild support to major support, using any or all of the following aids is possible: walker to underarm crutches, elbow (Canadian) crutches, broad-based canes, and finally, regular single-based canes. A major warning sign of the improper use of mobility aids is frequent falls. This suggests that the proper equipment is not being used, or that you need additional training with the device. So, which one do you choose? When in doubt about any advice or technique, consult with your healthcare professional.