Assistive Devices for walking

If you  need a little help with walking, you’ve got several options.  Here are some tips:

Let’s start by talking about the quad cane and the hemi-walker.

Quad Cane (large base) available at www.allegromedical.com

Hemi-walker available at www.1800wheelchair.com

Many therapists discourage using a quad cane or hemi-walker (also called a hemi-cane), at least until a minimal amount of trunk and leg control are established, because too much reliance on these type’s of canes promote deviations in the walking pattern and a “learned non-use” of the affected leg.  For this reason, it might be wise to work with a physical therapist to achieve a certain degree of ability with walking, before beginning to use some type of cane.  (1)

Standard Cane

Standard Cane available at www.invacare.com

A standard cane provides a small degree of balance and support, but does not tend to encourage as much deviation in walking pattern as a quad cane or hemi-walker.  The standard cane is inherently less stable, and therefore one cannot lean as much bodyweight onto the cane.  This is good for normalizing the gait pattern, but possibly bad for somebody who needs more support.  Also, a standard cane does not have the handy feature of standing up on it’s own, like the quad cane and hemi-walker (if you let go of the handle, it falls down).

Another option is called the Able Tripod cane.

Able Tripod Cane available at www.walkingequipment.com

The base on this cane could provide slightly more stability than the standard cane, as well as the benefit of not falling to the ground when you let go of the handle.  And it might be less obtrusive to the normal walking cycle than the
quad cane or hemi-walker.

If you have to walk with a cane, why not add a little flair?  There are plenty of options to “pimp your ride”