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Can I Use A Knee Walker With Nerve Damage
- Kyle Coppola
November 5, 2019
- How Do Nerves Work?
Nerves are described as the bodies central system that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Think of it like wiring in a building. Each command from the brain tells these nerves what to do. There are nerves that trigger muscles to make the body move. Other nerves relay messages about pain, pressure or temperatures. Even as we sit here typing the brain is triggering the muscles in the fingertips to type each individual letter.
The nervous system is a highly complex system so can you use a knee walker with a nerve injury? It truly depends on the type of nerve injury suffered. If for instance a person has been paralyzed from the waist down, then using a knee walker would be completely out of the question. A wheelchair would be a good option however if a person begins to slowly get feeling back in their extremities alternative options may be available. There are plenty of examples of people who have suffered damaged nerves and are able to make a recovery.
Robert Wickens Recovery
One of the most curious cases of nerve damage came last year when Indy Car driver Robert Wickens suffered what appeared to be a potentially fatal crash at Pocono Raceway. Luckily it wasn't and you can find the link to the accident by clicking here. Avoiding a similar fate as Dan Wheldon's crash at Las Vegas in 2011 where Wheldon was killed, Wickens was airlifted to a hospital following the crash. Suffering a severe spinal fracture, doctors said he would never walk again let alone drive.
Fast forward one year and Wickens is already defying the odds. He has driven a car assisted by technology. He has regained movement in his hands and limited movement in his legs. Just like Wickens there are so many people with uplifting stories nationwide who are going through the same situation.
How A Knee Scooter Works?
To understand if a person with a nerve injury can indeed use a knee walker it’s best to understand how they operate. The most common type of knee walker resembles a scooter with an elevated pad to rest the knee of your injured leg on. You then propel yourself with your good leg and steer the unit by turning the handlebar to control the direction of the front wheels. All models are designed to keep your leg with the injury fully non weight bearing while still providing easy mobility. You will be at your normal height, so you are able to still perform daily tasks.
You can check out our How to Use a Knee Walker guide for even more information. It should be noted that getting the proper information about the injury can lead to the best decision making. Deciding what the patient’s needs are is a huge part about making this decision.
What Are The Signs and Symptoms
To best understand if using a knee walker is the right choice under these circumstances its good to know what the signs and symptoms of what constitutes as a nerve injury. A common theme is the type of injury, severity of the injury, and the nerve that’s been damaged.
Pain – This is usually a frequent symptom with people who are dealing with a nerve injury. This pain occurs after a nerve injury and can be located at or near the nerve injury site.
Weakness – Some nerves in the body give you the ability to move. In this case the nerves that carry motor signals to the brain may have been injured which could cause the weakness in the muscles.
Numbness – One of the most common symptoms is the feeling of numbness. There are nerves that only carry this transmission to the brain so if you have ever had a surgical scar you will notice after you recover you may not have feeling where you used to from the incision.
There are many other signs of nerve injury: muscles that get smaller, color change in the skin, and changes to the amount of sweat in certain areas.
Recovering From A Nerve Injury
As the nerve fibers in the body slowly grow and in many cases they have grown about one inch every month after a nerve is sewn back together in surgery, it could take many months for the nerve to finish growing back. In some cases, certain factors may limit the amount of feeling a person ever gets back in the nerve. It can also take a prolonged period of time for the muscles to fully begin interacting with the respective nerve endings again. Using physical therapy to recover from an injure is sometimes necessary. This begs an important question.
Can I Use A Knee Scooter?
The best way to answer this is by first checking with your doctor. If he or she deems it acceptable to seek out this type of assistive device rest assured Rent A Knee Walker has you covered. By taking our Help Me Choose Quiz you will be fully able to narrow down all your knee walker options. The number of models on the market is often overwhelming, but never fear because our quiz will help ensure you choose the right model.
Choose What Works Best
At the end of the day feeling comfortable in your recovery is what is most important. Utilizing a Knee Walkers For Sale can assist a person with a nerve injury have a happier and healthier recovery. While not every person with a nerve injury will be able to utilize this device there are so many more options available to assist with recovery. You can take a look at the other medical products we offer that can best suit you. No matter what you are going through always know that we are there to provide the best possible chance at a great recovery.
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