Have an upcoming knee or foot surgery and concerned about being able to get around while you recover? Is your senior loved one showing signs of needing a little extra support when walking or recently took a nasty fall? Did your teenager break her leg in gymnastics? There are many options of mobility equipment on the market, but how do you know which type is best for your situation?
Crutches tend to be the first option to help with mobility after a fall or surgery, but depending on the situation a knee walker may be a much better option and should be considered. Crutches allow the user to take some or all the weight off one leg or foot. They may take a bit of practice to get comfortable using them. You may also want to have someone nearby to help keep you steady or maneuver steps, but once you get the hang of it, using crutches can be a breeze. Your doctor will recommend crutches only if the user has good balance, strength and endurance. A knee walker provides more freedom of movement for patients with below the knee injuries while supporting the injured leg in a non-weight bearing position. A knee walker is easy to use, stable, and requires minimal upper body strength.
If you break a bone, or have a bad sprain to your leg or foot, crutches may be the easiest to use to help you get around, but they require continuous balance and coordination by the user. Typically, doctors will prescribe the use of crutches only if the balance, stability and upper body strength is strong in the user. When used for several hours, underarm chafing can occur, so consider using sheepskin crutch covers on the armpit rests to make them more comfortable.
If your loved one is unable to bear weight on one of their legs but the other leg is sturdy, a knee walker might be the best option. A knee walker is designed to assist the user in keeping weight off a leg or foot due to a fracture or following a surgery. They are used as temporary assistance, on average between 6-8 weeks. Liberty Oxygen offers a rental program with knee walkers that is very popular with our customers. Be sure to ask for details at one of our eight locations if this option appeals to you. Each user may discover their own benefits to using a knee walker, but here are a few to consider:
- offers non-weight bearing support to your lower leg
- your arms aren’t involved, so no arm soreness or chafing will occur
- greater stability in any type of weather
- makes everyday tasks more manageable
- lower risk of re-injury
- use is usually temporary
With either of the above mentioned walking aids, you can customize or personalize the equipment in a variety of ways (unless you are using the rental program). Liberty Oxygen offers creative ways to ‘trick out’ your medical equipment and many accessory pieces to help you transport items safely while maintaining the functionality to continue managing daily chores or errands independently. Stop in at any of our Minneapolis/St. Paul metro Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment locations and let the creative staff members show you some ideas to take your crutches or knee walker to the next level.
There are many options of mobility equipment to choose from and each customer’s situation is unique. Let our professional, trained experts at Liberty Oxygen help you decide what type of equipment fits best with your needs. Contact us today!
Tags: accessories, crutches, knee walkers, medical equipment, medical equipment Minneapolis, medical equipment MN, medical supply store Minnesota, rent
It’s nice that there are so many different options for mobility aids. Personally, I think it would be easier on the arms if you used the scooter. Sometimes the places you are going don’t really allow you to use the scooter, but that’s when you could use the crutches.
Thanks for sharing this advice on whether to get crutches or a knee walker. It is really nice that a knee walker can offer support in a way that doesn’t overexert your arms. I was actually trying to decide between these two pieces of equipment for my teenage daughter, and I think that she would be better off with the walker. The last thing I would want is for her daily tasks to be that much more difficult because of her knee injury.
Thank you for clarifying my doubt as I have always wondering about the two.