Saturday, April 20, 2013

On Choosing a Bitchin' Mobility Device

Not so long ago, I became the girl with the purple cane. I had injured my left foot 2 years prior to my first JAA/chronic-pain-monster flare in 2007, and it never healed. In the years since it had only gotten worse, and after a series of falls, I found myself in the Assistive Devices aisle in a chain drugstore. The choices for mobility aids weren't overwhelming; only a couple feet of display space, but there were a fair amount of choices I had to make about what it was, exactly, that I wanted. Here are my tips on finding the right device for you.

  1. Think about what type of device suits your needs. There are a world of options out there. The store I went to had a couple different styles of crutches and walkers, and a decent selection of canes. Serendipitously, it was a cane that fit my needs. Sherman Oaks Medical Supply offers a great overview of which mobility aid might be good for you. I decided on a cane (though often long for a walker with a seat when waiting in lines!)
  2. Comfort is key; walk around a little bit with different devices and find a design that feels good to you. Canes have handles that come in many different shapes and degrees of curve.  Find one that feels great to you. If you're not sure where to stare, here is a guide which explains some different handle types. My cane has a Offset handle, which isn't listed. Consider the your material too: wood is heavy, aluminum is light. The weight really matters when you're carrying it around with you everywhere.
  3. Don't forget about aesthetics. Aesthetics was hugely important to me when picking out my cane. I didn't want one that felt too "old-fashion," so I disregarded the wood canes (I had an awful experience getting teased for borrowing a great-uncles old oak cane in 7th grade and haven't forgotten!) It was also important to me that it didn't look too clinical, so the plain silver aluminum ones were nixed. I decided to forgo a pattern, so that it would blend in a little better with my wardrobe. 

I came to the decision that a purple aluminum cane like the one here would be the best choice for me. It set me back less than $20, and it was so worth it in terms of improving my mobility.

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