Walking Aids

In addition to the possession and the use of walking aids, there are many factors. Since childhood, we experience and realize what is important for walking and what are walking aids. There are several factors that disturb in walking. These are in the form of injuries that result to limit mobility and there are many types of injuries such as sprains, sport related injuries, and accidents. There are also some persons who claim to have many diseases that result some limitations in mobility. Among them, some claimed that rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis caused to limit their mobility, because these diseases damage legs and other supporting body’s parts which help in mobility.

For investing what was ratio of these persons, a survey was conducted in Netherlands in which these persons were taken under consideration according to medical point of view. There were many purposes of this survey. Among them, it was also to judge what were the helping materials helping these persons in mobility and these materials were named as walking aids. There were 640 patients took participation in this survey and the method of that survey for investigation induced was via a random sampling with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A questionnaire was published to answer by these persons. Out of 640 patients, 410 patients answered and among these 223 had rheumatoid arthritis and remaining had osteoarthritis.



The result of that survey was, 49% with osteoarthritis owned a walking aid. Those aids were different in shapes, such forearm crutches, walkers, canes and orthopedic footwear. Disability and age were major factors associated with those patients that caused to hire a walking aid. In contrast to that group, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the factors were age, lack of education, frequency of pain and disability.

According to the consensus, approximately 30% of persons did not use walking aids. The hiring of these aids is due to age factor, high intensity of pain, disability, decreasing in morning stiffness by aid and others. But when asked about how many people used walking aids then its answer was about 50%. This census proves that the need of these walking aids is based on the following factors; disability, age factor, pain and others which cause hurdles in mobility. And the reason of those persons not using walking aids was according to them, they did not need these aids, they could move without them.

But in general, we talk about what are the benefits of these aids. For this purpose, there are many types of walking aids coming in the markets for assisting these persons in free mobility to work and perform their daily routines. These are many in shapes and sizes. These are also low in prices. Its being lightweight is the most important factor due to which these persons use these walking aids.