We also have various types of walking sticks and canes available. For those of you who enjoy hiking and or taking a walk in the forest, take a look at our section on hiking sticks. If you travel a lot and have a hard time bringing with you a solid cane or walking stick, take a look at the foldable walking sticks.

Types of walking sticks and crutches.

Underarm crutches are generally made out of aluminum making the solid and light weight. The tip of the crutches is commonly made out of solid rubber, as this makes it hard for the crutches to slip when you are using them. During winter you can buy ice spikes to attach to the tip of your underarm crutches, to make it harder for them to slip using them outside on icy roads. It is generally not advised to use underarm crutches on ice though, as it is easy for them to slip even when you use ice spikes on the tip of them.

Forearm crutches are used by both people with permanent walking disabilities as well as by people recovering from a broken leg or other temporary walking disabilities. Forearm crutches are often referred to as the Loftstrand crutch, the reason for this is that Loftstrand is large manufacturer of these type of crutches.

Forearm crutches are often made out of aluminum, which makes them both light weight and pretty solid as well. The tip of the crutch is usually made of hard rubber, something that makes it hard for the crutches to slip. For wintertime many people place metal spikes on the tip of their forearm crutches, as the rubber tip slips pretty easily on ice.

Equipment categories

A basic cane consists of four parts, the handle, the collar, the shaft and the ferrule. The handle is where you hold the cane with your hand, the collar is the part that connects the shaft to the handle, the shaft is the long piece of the cane that supports your weight, and the ferrule is the tip of the cane, usually made of rubber so that the cane doesn’t slip or slide. One type of cane is the quad cane, where there are actually 4 tips so that the cane can stand up even if you don’t hold on to it.

Not all canes are made to support the weight of someone with walking disabilities, the white cane for instance is for the vision impaired allowing the user to feel ahead, these are much thinner and lighter than the other types of canes. We also have the adjustable canes and the folding canes, canes that are easier for the user to transport around when traveling. When it comes to the handle of the cane there are also many different types, some come with a strap to put around your wrist while some have designs that give you more support when leaning on the cane.

Spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis of the limbs. Leg paralysis is called paraplegia in medical terms. If all your limbs are paralyzed then this type of paralysis is called quadriplegia. Recent studies show that the average age when people tend to injure themselves is 31 years old.
The main causes of spinal cord injuries are: motor vehicle accidents, acts of violence, falls and sports.

Damaged or lost limbs.
People that lost one hand will still be able to do most of their daily activities. Nowadays companies in this market (helping disabled persons), tend to invent and improve house objects that can help any disabled person keep its independence.

Diseases and Congenital Conditions.
Cerebral palsy is a brain injury that affects the muscle control (your muscle control is decreased). This condition usually happens to small children after birth or in the fetal development stage. Some characteristics of cerebral palsy are muscle spasms, involuntary movement, and impaired speech. More severe cases can lead to paralysis.

Muscular dystrophy.
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder in which some of the genes for muscle proteins are severely damaged. It is characterized by degeneration of the muscles. Muscular dystrophy can affect people at any age, but is most common in children. Individuals with mild muscular dystrophy can live a normal life span, while individuals with more severe cases can die in their teens or in their early 20s.

All in all, people having damaged limbs, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or even paralysis need extra care. They lose their independence because of their disabilities and need someone to take care of them.