Walking Aids

K6a patient: “I use crutches to lift the pressure off my feet. They are particularly helpful when I have long distances to walk or when I have to stand for a long time. They ensure that I can do more for a longer period of time. I can also cover distances more quickly with crutches. Having crutches to use also ensures that I go more places and participate in more things, as pain would otherwise keep me home.”

PC-K16 patient “Foldable Electronic Bike is great and easy to take anywhere. We made a handicap sticker to put on the handlebars so that no questions need to be asked. “

K6a patient: “Knee pads are lifesavers if my feet are too sore to walk and I resort to “walking” on my knees. They are especially good when my feet are too sore to vacuum or mop the floor and I know I will need to be on my knees for a long time.”

K6a patient: “For decades, I walked on my knees to save the pain in my feet, but my knees are now ruined and often the choice is which pain is the least worse to walk on. This snazzy little wheelchair has saved both my knees and my feet. As a mom, I walk up and down my hallways and around my house all day long. While I’m not dependent upon the chair (I only use it in my own home), I take those many, many trips around my home pain-free and quickly, saving my feet for outside errands and activities where I don’t use a wheelchair. It’s also fast and it has a tight turning radius for easy maneuvering.”

K16 patient: “I have a mobility scooter and it has been an incredible help. I take it everywhere. I’ve just gone from the East Coast of the USA to Australia and New Zealand. I went through museums, wildlife parks, towns, and cities without any pain. I told my husband that it was the first vacation that I didn’t complain that my feet were killing me. It’s a tremendous help. Unfortunately, my insurance won’t pay for it, but we bought it anyway. I opted for a portable, folding scooter called “The Luggie” because I can handle getting it in the car myself. Insurance would only pay for one of those big scooters.”

K6a patient: “This foldable scooter is really a gift for me, ever since I got it, seeing places is great. Exploring outdoors, parks, malls is interesting now, especially without experiencing the pain” “Ephesus” – it is easy to fold and fit it into the car.

K6a patient: “I use an armless office chair with wheels in my kitchen. I scoot around using my toes, but at least my hands and arms are free to cook, bake, serve meals, etc. This is great because I spend so much time in the kitchen and I can’t stand for long on hard floors. Before getting an office chair, I used to drag stools from place to place in the kitchen. Having an office chair is much easier.”

A rollator could best be described as a standard walker taken to the extreme. Four large tires replace the two small wheels and two posts of a walker. The handles of a rollator feature caliper brakes, much like a ten-speed bicycle. The user can squeeze these hand brakes to lock the wheels in place or release them to continue walking.

K16 patient: “On a trip to Boston USA a few weeks ago, I came across ‘Wellness mats’ which are much more comfortable to stand on than normal carpeted floors/bath mats. I bought a couple; one as a bath mat and another for by the cooker in the kitchen. Unfortunately, they do not seem to ship outside of the USA or Canada but may be worth looking in to if you can get hold of them.

K6a patient: “It is painful to walk, so I use a wheelchair. I call it a miracle, and now can go to amusement parks all day.”