Walking, foot drop, and wheelchairsExercises are the name of the game when it comes to regaining your walking.
Exercises
If you are close to walking again, you can do these strengthening exercises -- with supervision. (Click on the image, and print it out.)
Here is a video of a couple of lower-body exercises for stroke patients, to help gain strength:
Another good video of simple leg exercises:
Foot Drop
Foot drop is when you have difficulty lifting the front part of your foot up toward your shin. While the root causes of foot drop are complex, the effects can often be quite clear, like poor balance and abnormal walking patterns.
And don't forget about your toes when you are working on your walking:
Foot Drop
Foot drop is when you have difficulty lifting the front part of your foot up toward your shin. While the root causes of foot drop are complex, the effects can often be quite clear, like poor balance and abnormal walking patterns.
There are many approaches to the problem. See Foot Drop Recovery: Understanding All Your Options and 5 Best Treatments for Foot Drop.
The usual solution is a brace, or ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). For more info, see The Hidden Danger of Using an AFO
Or you can try some of these inventions and gadgets, most of whom use a Functional Electrical Stimulation system.
The usual solution is a brace, or ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). For more info, see The Hidden Danger of Using an AFO
Or you can try some of these inventions and gadgets, most of whom use a Functional Electrical Stimulation system.
- WalkAide uses functional electrical stimulation for improving walking.
- NESS L300 Foot Drop System uses stimulation to lift your foot.
- Dorsi-Strap for Foot Drop works with your own shoes.
- SaeboStep is a lightweight brace that works with your own shoes
Videos about foot drop:
See also:
Getting Up after a Fall
If you fall, pick yourself up! Here's how:
Wheelchairs
If you are in a wheelchair -- even temporarily -- you might want to read:
Consider making these modifications throughout the house, as well as modifying your kitchen.
Exercising in a wheelchair is also possible. Consider yoga!
yoga-for-wheelchair-users-8-poses.
Also see the sites that talk about chair yoga, since whatever you can do in a chair, you can probably do a wheelchair.
- Guide to Wheeled Mobility
- Picking the right wheelchair
- PimpMyChair.com (to spruce up your wheelchair)
Consider making these modifications throughout the house, as well as modifying your kitchen.
Exercising in a wheelchair is also possible. Consider yoga!
yoga-for-wheelchair-users-8-poses.
Also see the sites that talk about chair yoga, since whatever you can do in a chair, you can probably do a wheelchair.
Getting into and out of a car is always a pain. Here are the basic steps:
Hotel rooms that are accessible to people with limited mobility are available throughout the United States. It is best to call an individual hotel to discuss your specific needs to ensure that they will be able to accommodate you. The following websites offer advice on the types of questions to ask when booking a hotel room.
- Tips on Finding a Wheel Chair Accessible Hotel: www.mobility-advisor.com/wheel-chair-accessible-hotel.html
- Finding Accessible Travel Accommodations: www.travelwithachallenge.com/Accessible-Accommodation.htm
- Tips for Safe Travel
You can find all kinds of ramps and accessible thresholds on the AbleData site. Then you can go to ramp page at Amazon
to purchase them.
to purchase them.
Railings / grab bars
See the good selections at Amazon.
If you are trying to walk again, always step up with you good leg first, and down with the bad. (Remember, "the good one goes to heaven.")