Mobility Aids

What are mobility aids?

Mobility aids help you walk or move from place to place if you have a disability or an injury.

Types of mobility aids can include:

• Crutches
• Canes
• Walkers
• Wheelchairs
• Motorized scooters
• Prostheses, a device to replace a missing part of your body or make part of your body work better, such as a leg

Ramps, stairlifts, and handrails are also mobility aids. These additions can help you safely move around your environment.

Who might benefit from mobility aids?

Mobility aids can help people who have a physical disability or trouble moving around be more independent. A few reasons a mobility aid might help you include:

• If you are at risk of falling or are healing from a lower-body injury, you may need a walker or cane.
• You may use crutches to keep your body weight off your foot, ankle, or knee.
• You may need a wheelchair or a scooter if an injury or disease has left you unable to walk.
• Various mobility aids may also benefit people with certain health conditions or older adults.

How do I choose a mobility aid?

Your health care provider or a physical therapist may help you choose a mobility aid. Choosing these devices takes time and research. You might need good upper body strength or balance to use some mobility aids safely. Otherwise, they may not be the best choice for you. You should be fitted for some mobility aids such as crutches, canes, and walkers. If they fit, these devices give you support, but they can be uncomfortable and unsafe if they don't.

Questions for your care team

General prompts to help prepare for your appointment.

• How does this information apply to my situation?
• Which symptoms or results need evaluation?
• Which tests are useful, and what can they tell us?
• What care options, benefits, and risks should we discuss?
• When should I seek urgent help, and whom should I call?
• When is follow-up, and how will we know whether the plan is working?