Auxiliary Walking and Standing Devices: Passive Support for Enhanced Mobility and Rehabilitation Efficiency

I. Device Introduction

1. Device Overview

Auxiliary walking and standing devices are passive medical devices specifically designed for patients with mobility impairments. By providing stable physical support, they aim to help patients safely perform walking, standing, and rehabilitation training, thereby effectively addressing mobility issues caused by illness, injury, old age, and other reasons. These devices play a crucial role in improving patients' self-care abilities, promoting early rehabilitation, and preventing falls, making them indispensable assistive tools in the field of rehabilitation medicine.

2. Types of Devices

Based on their structural characteristics and functional focus, auxiliary walking and standing devices can be divided into several types:

Basic Support Type: Primarily composed of legs, handles, support trays, support frames, or arm cuffs. These devices have a relatively simple structure, mainly providing stable static or dynamic support to help patients maintain balance, suitable for early rehabilitation or patients with poor balance.
Walker Type: Consists of handles, handle grips, walker feet, and a frame. Commonly seen in traditional four-legged walkers, they assist walking by the patient actively lifting or pushing the device, offering good stability and weight-bearing capacity.
Multi-functional Wheeled Walker: This is the most feature-rich type, usually including a support platform (such as a platform support table or forearm support table), adjustable handles and their poles, wheels, a height adjustment mechanism, parking brakes, and a folding mechanism; some also integrate a seat function. These devices combine mobility, stability, and convenience, suitable for patients who need more flexible movement and intermittent rest.

All these devices are passive products, not relying on external power, with a relatively simple structure, easy to operate and maintain.

3. Device Functions

The core function of auxiliary walking and standing devices is to provide physical support, and their specific functional features include:

Support and Stability: Provides body support through a sturdy structure, effectively distributing the patient's weight, reducing lower limb burden, thereby preventing falls and enhancing the safety of walking and standing.
Assisted Walking: Helps patients maintain balance and coordinate gait, making the walking process more effortless and smooth.
Assisted Standing: For patients who have difficulty transitioning from a sitting or lying position to a standing position, the device provides a reliable leverage point to assist them in safely getting up.
Height Adjustment: Most devices have a height adjustment function, which can be customized according to the needs of patients of different heights, ensuring correct posture and even force distribution for the user.
Braking Function (Wheeled Type): Wheeled walkers are usually equipped with parking brakes, which can lock the wheels when stopped, ensuring stability when the device is stationary and preventing accidental sliding.
Folding Function (Some Models): Some devices are designed with a folding mechanism for easy storage and transport, improving portability.
Seat Function (Some Models): Multi-functional wheeled walkers often integrate a seat, allowing patients to rest at any time during walking, enhancing user comfort.

II. Scope of Application

1. Application Scenarios

Auxiliary walking and standing devices are widely used in various medical and rehabilitation scenarios:

Medical Institutions: Rehabilitation centers, rehabilitation departments of general hospitals, orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics, etc., for early rehabilitation training during patient hospitalization and functional assessment before discharge.
Elderly Care Institutions: Provides daily walking assistance for the elderly, prevents falls, and improves quality of life.
Home Care: Daily activity assistance for home rehabilitation patients, helping them safely perform walking and standing training at home and maintain independent living abilities.
Community Rehabilitation Stations: As an important part of community rehabilitation services, providing rehabilitation training and assistance to residents.

2. Applicable Diseases and Symptoms

This device is mainly suitable for patients with mobility impairments due to the following diseases or symptoms:

Neurological Diseases: Such as sequelae of stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, resulting in limb weakness, balance dysfunction, and gait abnormalities.
Orthopedic Diseases and Injuries: Such as post-fracture recovery, post-joint replacement surgery, arthritis (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), spinal diseases (e.g., lumbar disc herniation, scoliosis) leading to walking difficulties or pain.
Geriatric Frailty: Decreased muscle strength, reduced sense of balance, and unsteady gait due to aging.
Other Reasons: Such as muscle strength recovery after prolonged bed rest, weakness and mobility impairment caused by chronic diseases (e.g., diabetic foot, cardiopulmonary insufficiency).

3. Contraindicated Populations

To ensure safe and effective use, the following populations or conditions should be contraindicated or used with caution under professional guidance:

Those with severe cognitive impairment or unconsciousness: Unable to understand and follow usage instructions, posing a high risk of falls and accidents.
Those with severe balance dysfunction who cannot independently control their center of gravity: Even with device assistance, they may still fall due to inability to effectively control their own balance.
Those with severe upper limb dysfunction, unable to effectively bear weight or grasp handles: Unable to correctly use the device for support.
Patients with severe cardiovascular disease or other acute conditions unsuitable for standing or walking: Such as severe angina, acute myocardial infarction, severe vertigo, unstable blood pressure, etc.
Those whose weight exceeds the maximum weight capacity of the device.
Those with unstable conditions, where doctors explicitly advise against activity or weight-bearing.

III. Usage Guidelines and Precautions

1. Usage or Operation Method/Steps

Correct use of auxiliary walking and standing devices is key to ensuring safety and rehabilitation effectiveness:

Selection and Assessment: Under the guidance of a professional rehabilitation therapist or doctor, select the most suitable device type and size based on the patient's height, weight, muscle strength, balance ability, and degree of walking dysfunction.
Height Adjustment: Ensure the device height is properly adjusted. Typically, when the patient stands with arms naturally hanging down, the wrist crease should be level with the device handle, and the elbow joint should be slightly bent (about 15-30 degrees) when holding the handle. Too high or too low will affect stability and comfort.
Standing Assistance: The patient should place the device about 20-30 cm in front of their body, holding the handles firmly with both hands. When standing, lean the body slightly forward, use arm strength and the support of the device to slowly transition from a sitting or lying position to a standing position.
Walking Gait (e.g., for a four-legged walker):
- First, move the walker forward a small step (about 20-30 cm).
- Then step out with the affected leg (or weaker leg), placing it inside the walker.
- Finally, step out with the unaffected leg (or stronger leg), bringing it alongside or slightly ahead of the affected leg.
- Repeat the above steps, maintaining a steady, slow gait.
Walking Gait (e.g., for a wheeled walker): Push the walker forward, then alternate steps, keeping the device at an appropriate distance from the body.
Brake Use (Wheeled Type): When needing to stop, rest, stand, or sit down, always engage the parking brake to ensure the device does not slide.
Sitting Assistance: Turn your back to the chair, firmly grasp the device handles with both hands, and slowly lower your body until safely seated.

2. Common Error Reminders

To avoid accidents and improve rehabilitation effectiveness, please note the following common errors:

Improper Height Adjustment: A device that is too high can cause shoulder tension and leaning forward, leading to instability; too low can cause hunching, increasing lower back pressure and affecting breathing.
Uncoordinated Gait or Excessive Stride Length: Moving the walker too far or the patient taking too large a step may cause the center of gravity to exceed the device's support range, increasing the risk of falls.
Over-reliance on the Device: Putting all body weight on the device is not conducive to the recovery of one's own muscle strength and balance ability. One should mobilize one's own strength as much as possible while the device provides safe support.
Failure to Check Device Condition: Not checking for loose screws, worn walker feet, or effective brake function before each use may lead to device failure or accidents.
Using on Uneven or Slippery Surfaces: Using on carpets, thresholds, slippery surfaces, or areas with obstacles can easily lead to tripping or slipping.
Carrying Heavy Objects: Carrying excessively heavy items while using the device can shift the body's center of gravity, affect balance, and increase the risk of falls.
Ignoring Professional Guidance: Not following the advice and guidance of a doctor or rehabilitation therapist may lead to improper use, affecting rehabilitation effectiveness or even causing secondary injury.
Wheeled Type Not Locking Brakes: Failing to engage the brake device in time when standing, sitting, or needing to remain stationary, leading to accidental sliding of the device.
Looking Down at Feet: When walking, try to keep your gaze level and look ahead, paying attention to the path, rather than constantly looking down at your feet.

Assistive Walking and Standing Devices Buying Guide