Mobility Aids & Appliances

Walker / Sticks / Crutches / Tripods / Canes
A mobility aid, an integral part of assistive technology, is a device designed to assist a child with delayed milestones / disability to move from one place to another place. Examples: Walker / Stroller / Rollator / Crawler / Wheel chair / Cane, etc

Mobility aid helps a child with delayed milestones / disability to generate movement, improved stability and strength, reduce lower-limb loading.

A large number of mobility aids are available in the market. Such as Scooter board, Crawler, Rollator, Elbow Crutches, Tripods, Cane, sticks, wheelchair, etc . Before purchasing any of these mobility aids for your child, consult an experienced therapist for prescribing an appropriate mobility aid. 

Prescribing Mobility Aids
Before you prescribe or order a mobility aid, you should know the mobility development profile in human being
A child with physical disability learns to move from one place to other in the following order

• Pivoting on abdomen
• Rolling
• Creeping
• Crawling / Bottom Shuffling
• Kneel Walking / Lateral Cruise( Supported side walking)
• Use of Walker  ( Anterior Walker / Posterior Walker)
• Use of Elbow Crutches ( Both sides / one side)
• Use of Tripods / Sticks( Both sides / one side)
• Independent Walking

Functional Mobility Scale (FMS)
FMS is a very good tool to guide children with cerebral palsy and allied disorders for mobility training

We assess all children with physical limitations to prescribe age and ability appropriate mobility aids.
Please note, wrong or inappropriate mobility aid will harm your child more than it supports.
Prescribing an appropriate mobility aid requires specialized training to have details assessment and clinical judgement. Random prescription can be hazardous. Some basic principles are:

• Use of stroller / Buggy: Till the age of seven years only when no independent form of mobility has been achieved by the child
• Use of Wheel chair: Mostly after the age of seven years, but one can use customized wheel chair at any age (Customized wheel chairs are available for 2 years old also)
• Rollator / Walker: When the child can get to sit from lying, can crawl or bottom shuffles and able to bear appropriate weight on both feet, rollator is the best mobility aid.. Using a walker before the child is ready, may harm the child
• Elbow crutches: If a child is unable to walk independently but able to walk with walker / rollator functionally. To promote the child to next level of mobility, elbow crutches can be considered.
• Tripods / Sticks: Tripods / sticks walking helps in transition from aided walking to unaided walking. Mostly children who walk with tripods / sticks, gradually becomes independent walker  
• When the child is able to walk with rollator / walker functionally and the child has good trunk control, introduce tripods rather elbow crutches.
• When the child is able to walk with rollator / walker functionally and the child has not so good trunk control, introduce elbow crutches rather tripods / sticks. Elbow crutches walking is always functional and the child can use it in the all places

 
Anterior Rollator versus Posterior Rollator
You will be surprised to know that a child who uses posterior rollator can become independent in walking earlier than a child who uses anterior rollator. This is the biggest difference between these two rollators

 Anterior Rollator     
  



Posterior Rollator


Use of Wheelchair
Parents and professionals are always hesitant to use wheel chairs. There is a myth regarding wheel chair usage. Lot of people feel, using wheel chair will make the child dependent on wheel chair mobility only. Technically it is opposite; using wheel chair will make the child independent and promote function. With proper treatment and training, a child can switch to other mobility aids from wheel chair mobility whenever needed.

Please note, ICD has one of the best R&D team for mobility aids in India, so you can get any kind of mobility aids. Just tell us your need, we will design it.

If you want to know more details about mobility aids and appropriate prescription, please contact us:     
Fixed Landline Number: +91-11-41012124
Whatsapp: +91-7838809241    
Mail: helpicd@gmail.com