Assistive Devices

PRESENTED BY – SHEETAL SINGH & RUTUJA DEORE

BPT 3RD YEAR 6TH SEM.
DR DY PATIL COLLEGE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
What is Assistive Device.
 A tool that helps a person with a disability to do a certain task.
 Examples are walker, wheelchair, scooter, hearing aid, or special bed.
Use Of Assistive Devices
 Maintain or improve an individual's functioning and independence, thereby
promoting their well-being.
Walker
 It is an assistive device which works as an important tool for the Ambulatory
or elderly Patients.
 It maintains the balance or stability while walking.
• It has four legs with rubber tips and plastic hand grips.
• Many walkers have adjustable legs.
 Types of Walkers.
1. Standard walker.
 A standard walker is sometimes called a pickup walker. It has four rubber-
tipped legs. It does not have wheels. This type of walker provides the most
stability. You have to lift this walker to move it.
2. Two-wheel walker

 This walker has wheels on the two front legs. It's useful if you need some
help bearing weight as you move, or if lifting a standard walker is hard for
you. It can be easier to stand fully upright with a two-wheel walker than it is
with a standard walker. That may help improve posture and lower the risk of
falls.
3. Three-wheel walker.

 This walker provides continuous balance support. But it is lighter and easier
to move than a four-wheel walker, especially in tight spaces.
4. Four-wheel walker

 This walker offers continuous balance support. Using a four-wheel walker

can be helpful if you are unsteady on your feet. But it tends to be less stable
than a standard walker. If endurance is a concern, this type of walker often
has the option for a seat.
5. Knee Walker

 This walker has a knee platform, four wheels and a handle. To move, you
rest the knee of your injured leg on the platform and push the walker with
your other leg. A knee walker typically is used for a short time when an
ankle or foot problem makes walking difficult.
Gait Patterns: Conventional Walkers

 Three types of weight-bearing gait patterns can be accomplished with

conventional walkers: full weight bearing (FWB), partial weight-bearing
(PWB), and non-weight-bearing (NWB) gait (rolling devices are generally
not recommended for patients with altered.
Full Weight-Bearing

• The walker is picked up and moved forward about an arm's length.

• The first LEG is moved forward.
• The second LEG is moved forward past the first.
• The cycle is repeated.
Partial Weight-Bearing

• The walker is picked up and moved forward aboutan arm's length.

• The involved PWB limb is moved forward, and body weight is transferred partially onto
this limb and partially through the UEs to the walker.
• The uninvolved LE is moved forward past the involved limb.
• The cycle is repeated.
Non-Weight-Bearing

• The walker is picked up and moved forward about an arm's length.

• Weight is then transferred through the UEs to the walker.
• The involved NWB limb is held anterior to the patient's body but does not make contact
with the floor.
• The uninvolved limb is moved forward.
• The cycle is repeated.
Thank You.