So, you’re wondering if you need a mobility aid. Well, welcome to the right place.
One of the questions I see most often in the chronically ill/disabled communities is whether or not someone needs a mobility aid. Realistically, no one can can answer this question aside from you/your medical team. However, I can provide you some guidance in your journey. (Please note I’m not a medical professional. View disclaimers here)
Mobility aids aren’t just reserved for people with “severe” disabilities or the elderly. It’s okay to use one regardless of your age/disability/career if you feel you would benefit from it. They can benefit people who have pain, fatigue, trouble walking, joint issues, balance issues, syncope episodes, and more. If you’re thinking one might help, you’re welcome to try one out!
Things you should know:
- Ideally, you should have a medical professional help with your decision. The reason being is that they can guide you through your options, refer you to an OT who show you how to use your aid, make sure it’s the proper fit, and help see if insurance will cover your aid. I have a guide for how to talk to your doctor about mobility aids here. However, I recognize that this isn’t feasible for everyone. In that case, use extra care when researching and know that it’s okay. Your use of a mobility aid is valid with or without a doctor’s approval.
- On that note, you don’t have to listen to your doctor’s recommendations. You know your body best, and you know what you need. Especially if you’re young, doctors might be hesitant to prescribe you an aid. Doctors sometimes voice valid concerns about why an aid wouldn’t be a good fit, but other times their concerns come from a place of ableism. It’s ultimately up to you to determine what’s best for you.
- Keep in mind that an ill-fitting mobility aid can cause more harm than good. An ill-fitting cane can cause joint issues, while an ill-fitting wheelchair can cause pain and be difficult to maneuver. You don’t want to get an aid hoping it’ll help with one problem, and then realize it’s causing three more.
- Also, a mobility aid should give you freedom. You should feel like it helps you do more. However, there are limitations to them. People will probably look at you-especially if you’re young. Not all places are accessible, even if they claim they are. And they’re probably not going to suddenly solve all of your problems. They should, however, help you. If you feel an aid doesn’t help, you may not need one or you may need a different one.
So, do you need a mobility aid?
- Does walking exacerbate your symptoms?
- Are you often using walls and counters to steady yourself? Are you crawling on the floor?
- Do you find yourself falling over, or find yourself sitting often because of dizziness?
- When you go out, do you find yourself only able to walk short distances? Are you constantly looking for places to rest?
- If you go out for a short time, do you find yourself unable to function for days/weeks afterwards?
- Are you unable to go out and do the activities you used to love because of mobility issues?
- Do you put off going out until a “good day” because you know you’ll use up your energy/functioning just getting there?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then you may benefit from a mobility aid.
Cane vs. forearm crutches. vs. rollator vs. wheelchair
This decision is very personal. I can’t really tell you what would best benefit you. Two people with the same chronic illness may choose different mobility aids because of their symptoms. One person-like myself- may choose to use different mobility aids for different days. It’s up to you to decide what you need. But I can give you some of the pros and cons between aids:
Cane:
Pros:
- Good for balance because you can lean on it
- Good if you have weakness in one leg because you can use it on your stronger side
- Good for a sense of stability when walking
- Good for slight leg pain because it can take some weight off your leg
- Good if you have difficulty with stairs as you can use it to stabilize yourself while ascending
- Easy and relatively inexpensive to obtain without prescription
- Easy to customize as they come in different colors/patterns
- Compact and light to carry. Some canes even fold
Cons:
- Aren’t great if you have weakness in both legs because they’re generally only used for one leg
- May not mitigate more severe leg pain because you’re still forced to bear weight on your legs
- Doesn’t do much for general fatigue because you’re still forced to walk
- Can cause wrist/shoulder pain if you’re putting a lot of weight on the cane or using for extended periods of time
Forearm Crutches (dual crutches)
Pros:
- Good for increased balance and stability because you can use them to steady yourself
- Good if you have weakness in both legs
- Good for leg pain because it takes the weight off your legs
- Good for back pain because it forces better posture and takes some weight off your spine
- Compact and easy to transport. They’ll fit in just about any car and closet.
Cons:
- Can cause shoulder pain as you use your shoulders to move the crutches
- May worsen fatigue as you have to hold yourself up and “swing”
- Difficult to hold/carry things while using. If using both crutches, you don’t have a free hand
- Difficult to use with bulky clothing/winter coats. If the arm cuffs are sized to you, you may find it hard to put your arms in the cuffs if you’re wearing especially thick clothing.
- Expensive to obtain without prescription.
Rollator
Pros:
- Good for increased confidence while walking because it gives you something to hold onto
- Good if you have arm weakness because it rolls
- Great if you often need to rest because of portable seat
- Reduces risk of falls
Cons:
- Not useful for people who struggle to balance as they walk because it can roll away as you walk
- Doesn’t provide much stability when moving from sitting to standing because it rolls
- Can be bulky and heavy to transport
- Difficult to maneuver in tight spaces
Wheelchair
Pros:
- Good for those who cannot walk/walk far
- Good for when you need a constant place to rest
- Good for severe leg pain because you bare no weight on legs
- Can be helpful for fatigue because of electric or power-assist capabilities
- Incredibly customizable to fit your personal needs
Cons:
- Can be expensive to obtain, even with insurance. They can cost thousands out of pocket
- Any wheelchair that isn’t custom to you can be harmful to your joints/muscles, difficult to transport, and difficult to use independently. Manual wheelchairs that can be bought on Amazon for hundreds of dollars (like the Drive brand chairs) are incredibly difficult to propel independently and are designed for someone to push you.
- Custom chairs need doctor approval and a seating assessment
- Can be difficult to transport depending on the model. Custom manual wheelchairs can often come apart to fit in the trunk of a car while electric chairs may need to be towed/transported in modified vans.
- Many places are not wheelchair accessible
- Accessories to increase accessibility/adapt to hobbies are expensive and not covered by insurance
Regardless of who you are, I hope you know that you are valid for investigating mobility aids. You aren’t “taking them away” from anyone if you use them. If you’re just starting your mobility aid journey, be proud of yourself for taking steps to better your life! Use that aid with pride!
I hope this guide helped to sort out any confusion and provided some answers you needed! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below!
