helping your husband to walk safely
Sorry to hear your husband is having problems walking.
I use a Walkaide to help with foot drop and a pair of forearm canes because my left leg is affected by MS and it is weak. Depending on the time of day, the temperature, & how much I've walked, I often need my arms to help move my leg forward and to safely negotiate curbs and steps.
Five or so years ago I tried the Bioness and the Walkaide, chose the W. because it was a single piece and didn't need a sensor in my shoe. The W usually helps, especially when the pads are fairly new. If you find a used one on Craigslist please get it fitted and properly adjusted for him by a professional.
I used a cane until the specialist at UCSF who fitted me with the Walkaide suggested a pair of forearm crutches instead of the single conventional cane I usually used.
When I was able to backpack I was a big fan of hiking poles, having used them for hundreds of miles with about 50 pounds on my back, they made a tremendous difference in the Grand Canyon, Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, and the Appalachian trail in CT and MA.
Thinking back and comparing hiking poles to forearm crutches I feel much safer with the forearm crutches and believe they are much easier on hands and wrists.
A large part of my preference is because the rubber tips on the FCs are a lot larger than those on hiking poles; some tips are especially designed for wet surfaces.
It took me a while to realize that I preferred not falling while using the FCs and being obviously disabled over using a single cane and aggravating my pulled groin muscle.
My wife has been a tremendous help reminding me to walk standing straight, using my legs to hold me up, the FCs for balance - I readily lean forward (as if I'm using a walker) when I forget her advice.
Just a small non-political note - I've read that if the "tax plan" as it currently exists is passed it will be much harder to deduct medical expenses. Both the Walkaide and the Bioness cost many thousands of dollars - $5,000 when I bought mine, probably more today so you might want to buy one in 2017 if you itemize your federal taxes.
I sometimes use a walker in the house when I'm moving "stuff" around - mine has a seat and a large pocket under it, both useful for bottles of milk, cereal, dirty dishes, and hand tools.
Originally posted by beingmindful
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I use a Walkaide to help with foot drop and a pair of forearm canes because my left leg is affected by MS and it is weak. Depending on the time of day, the temperature, & how much I've walked, I often need my arms to help move my leg forward and to safely negotiate curbs and steps.
Five or so years ago I tried the Bioness and the Walkaide, chose the W. because it was a single piece and didn't need a sensor in my shoe. The W usually helps, especially when the pads are fairly new. If you find a used one on Craigslist please get it fitted and properly adjusted for him by a professional.
I used a cane until the specialist at UCSF who fitted me with the Walkaide suggested a pair of forearm crutches instead of the single conventional cane I usually used.
When I was able to backpack I was a big fan of hiking poles, having used them for hundreds of miles with about 50 pounds on my back, they made a tremendous difference in the Grand Canyon, Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, and the Appalachian trail in CT and MA.
Thinking back and comparing hiking poles to forearm crutches I feel much safer with the forearm crutches and believe they are much easier on hands and wrists.
A large part of my preference is because the rubber tips on the FCs are a lot larger than those on hiking poles; some tips are especially designed for wet surfaces.
It took me a while to realize that I preferred not falling while using the FCs and being obviously disabled over using a single cane and aggravating my pulled groin muscle.
My wife has been a tremendous help reminding me to walk standing straight, using my legs to hold me up, the FCs for balance - I readily lean forward (as if I'm using a walker) when I forget her advice.
Just a small non-political note - I've read that if the "tax plan" as it currently exists is passed it will be much harder to deduct medical expenses. Both the Walkaide and the Bioness cost many thousands of dollars - $5,000 when I bought mine, probably more today so you might want to buy one in 2017 if you itemize your federal taxes.
I sometimes use a walker in the house when I'm moving "stuff" around - mine has a seat and a large pocket under it, both useful for bottles of milk, cereal, dirty dishes, and hand tools.
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