Crutch Alternatives

Leg, foot and ankle injuries can leave a person immobile and dependent on others to do things for them. Crutch alternatives like wheel chairs, push walkers and knee walkers can be used by someone who is unable to hold themselves up on regular crutches. These assisted mobility devices can aid a person in regaining their independence and provide them with a way to safely maneuver while rehabilitating an injury.

Knee Walkers

One of the safest ways to get from place to place while nursing a foot or ankle injury back to health is to use a knee walker. Knee walkers are one of the best crutch alternatives for those who cannot support their body weight on regular crutches. A knee walker is a medical device used to provide those who suffer from foot or ankle injuries with mobility. Knee walkers function like a scooter. Using a knee walker allows for faster, safer maneuvering.

Although wheelchairs and push walkers are great crutch alternatives, neither one provides all of the benefits a knee walker does. In fact, most other assisted mobility devices can actually cause additional harm to the body. There are many advantages to using a knee walker over other crutch alternatives like wheelchairs and push walkers.

Knee walkers are designed to keep weight off of an injured leg and prevent further injury. In the case of a foot or ankle injury that should not bear any weight, crutch alternatives like push walkers and canes should not be used. A knee walker keeps your injury off the ground at all times.

When seated for long periods of time in a wheelchair, your muscles begin to weaken and symptoms of atrophy may be present. Depending on how long you are required to stay off your injured foot or ankle, you may not want to consider wheelchairs as crutch alternatives. When maneuvering a knee walker, you will use all of your muscles. This decreases your chances of atrophy and prevents muscles from weakening.

Crutches

If you have ever had to use crutches, you understand how uncomfortable and stressful they can be for the body. Many people suffering from foot and ankle injuries have reached out to crutch alternatives to try and prevent the discomfort and additional pain caused by crutches. Regular crutches can cause back, neck, shoulder, arm and underarm pain. They require you to balance yourself and carry your own weight each time you need to move from place to place. Users become easily fatigued or suffer from additional pain to the body.

Knee walkers are easy to use. While resting your injured leg on the knee pad located in the center of the knee walker, push off the ground with your good leg. You should begin to glide forward. Using the handle bars to steer, turn the knee walker in the direction you wish to travel. Knee walkers make wonderful crutch alternatives in that they provide a safe, efficient way to travel in half the time as regular crutches.