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Basics
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Summary
Mobility aids help you walk or move from place to place if you are disabled or have an injury. They include
- Crutches
- Canes
- Walkers
- Wheelchairs
- Motorized scooters
You may need a walker or cane if you are at risk of falling. If you need to keep your body weight off your foot, ankle or knee, you may need crutches. You may need a wheelchair or a scooter if an injury or disease has left you unable to walk.
Choosing these devices takes time and research. You should be fitted for crutches, canes and walkers. If they fit, these devices give you support, but if they don't fit, they can be uncomfortable and unsafe.
Related Issues
- Employees Who Use Wheelchairs (Office of Disability Employment Policy)
- Gardening from a Wheelchair (Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center)
- Home Modifications (Administration on Aging)
-
Rehabilitation Engineering: What is Rehabilitation Engineering?
(National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering)
Also in Spanish
- Team Sports (Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center)
Specifics
- Crutch Use (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
- Wheelchairs (Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center)
Statistics and Research
-
Tongue-Driven Wheelchair Out-Maneuvers the Competition
(National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Self-Help Devices
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- Wheelchairs (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Choices for Mobility Independence: Transportation Options for Older Adults (Administration on Aging) - PDF
- Eldercare at Home: Mobility Problems (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)