Let’s get this out of the way up front: Being injured is a drag. Even worse, is when an injury puts one of your legs out of commission. But whether it’s your bones, muscles, tendons, or ligaments that aren’t cooperating, you don’t have to spend your time sulking. Here are five great products that can help smooth out your road to recovery:
Maintaining your balance on one leg is hard enough, but add running water, soap, and shampoo into the equation, and you’re practically asking for another injury. Rather than compounding your current problem, look into a shower seat. Whether its a stool, a bench, or a chair, these products are designed to support your weight comfortably, despite the slick conditions. Most models feature rubberized feet help prevent slippage, handles to help the user grip, and drainage holes on the seat and legs to prevent the chair itself from retaining water. Be smart, and take a load off while washing up.
Getting up from your shower seat will likely prove difficult on one leg. Luckily, we have a perfect solution - grab bars. Just as the name implies, grab bars offer you something to hold onto as you move around your bathtub or shower. Permanent grab bars require a bit of installation, so you may need to bring in a handyman if you’re planning on going that route; but you can also opt for a temporary solution, which clamps down using high powered suction cups.
We’ve covered the time you’ll spend showering, but what about getting in and out of the tub? That’s a tricky task when you can only bear weight on one leg. For this situation, try a transfer bench. Transfer benches are long, four-legged structures that are placed astride the bathtub ledge, allowing the impaired user to easily enter or exit. If you find yourself considering a leap of faith, grab one of these instead.
With only one leg to support yourself, lowering yourself to a seated position, and rising to a standing position can both be difficult. When you need to use the bathroom, you don’t want to have to worry about your safety, so you might want to consider a raised toilet seat. Raised toilet seats effectively elevate the level of the seat, making it easier for an impaired individual to set themselves down, or get to their feet.
If you have a caregiver or loved one who’s helping you get healthy, you may want to consider renting or buying a transport wheelchair. Since they’re foldable and relatively lightweight, these chairs are ideal for short trips, but they don’t allow the user to propel him or herself. When you’re injured, transportation can be taxing; if you’ve got someone who’s willing to give you a free ride, don’t be shy, take it.
Knee Walkers -
A unique alternative to crutches, knee walkers allow users to propel themselves with one leg, while the other rests on a support platform. While balancing can be difficult - even perilous - on crutches, knee walkers provide a higher level of stability. Getting around may be the most frustrating task of all when you’re injured, but you have options.
This article was provided by 1800wheelchair.com who offers all these products and more.