What Different Walking Aids Are Available

Walking aids are medical devices designed to assist individuals with mobility problems in walking or moving. The mobility impairment can take many forms and may be associated with a variety of chronic diseases and acute injuries. There are several walking aids available in the market. They differ in design, effectiveness and complexity but all are used for the same purpose of improving mobility. 

Besides, the choice of which to use depends on the nature and severity of the impairment. In many instances, the affected person chooses the waking aid he or she believes is suitable for him or her. In other cases; however, it is the prerogative of the health care personnel to recommend the mobility aid he or she believes best suit the needs of the patient. It is very important to choose the right walking aid to ensure comfort and safety. Discussed below are the different walking aids currently available in the market. 

Walking sticks or canes 

Walking sticks or canes are perhaps the most commonly used of all the mobility aids. They are also the simplest. These walking aids are usually held in the hands and they transmit the user’s load to the ground through the staff. There are two types of canes or walking sticks: single-point cane and quad-cane. 

As the name sounds the single-point cane has a shaft with a single floor contact point, quad cane has a single shaft with four points of contact with the floor. The latter offer more stable support than the former and is suitable for those who need full support. 

Crutches 

Crutches allow users to completely remove weight from their lower extremities. Like the waking sticks, crutches transmit load to the ground through a single shaft but has double points of contact with the user’s arm: at the hand and either below the armpits or the elbow. They are more secure and stable than the sticks. However, crutches may require good stability and strength in the upper extremities making them unsuitable of elderly individuals. 

Walkers (Zimmer frames) 

These are perhaps the most cumbersome of all the walking aids yet they are the most supportive. Walkers are suitable for those with less upper body strength and balance. They come in two designs including those with wheels and those without. The current models have many other great features which make them very convenient, comfortable and very easy to use. The wheeled Zimmer frames are also referred to as rollators. 

Gait trainers 

Currently introduced into the market is a new design of walking aids referred to as gait trainers. This sophisticated mobility device is designed to help people who cannot walk independently learn or relearn how to walk in a safe and efficient. It is provides more support than the standard walker. It enables users with weight bearing as well as balance. 

Besides these major walking aids, there are few hybrids or combinations that present the features of two or more designs. For example, there are canes, crutches and forearm crutch combinations, and walker cane hybrids. These combinations are designed to improve balance, safety and convenience.