hi i have sca3 and i am at stage where i can walk with the aid of a walking stick.i am not sure if there is a stage in between this and a wheel chair.i really enjoy my freeedom at the moment but mind i cannot walk too far or too fast .can anyone throw some light this subject please?
best nick
My experience. I started with one stick then went to two crutches because my legs becomes very weak and unsteady at times. After some time my wrists and arms started aching with the crutches. The physio gave me a pair of special walking stick which can also bear some weight. The wheelchair is waiting in the corridor :(
I used my walker for two or more years.Now I use an indoor one for moving inside,use the outdoor walker which has bigger wheels for the garden and a road scooter for long distances..I don't use a stick as I would fall over it but many do.
I have been referred for a wheelchair but at the moment I manage.Movements are very slow and I lurch between handrails but it is not ideal.
I suppose we use the aids we need to fit our circumstances.
Hi,
I cannot walk more than 15-20steps! So I use a walker indoors and wheel chair outdoors. I have ordered for a motorized height adjustable chair to be more independent at home to carry on with my daily activities with ease as long as I have the strength in my hands. My hands are getting weak gradually. I have decided to fight as long as I can and be happy that I am managing my daily routine. Good luck always.
Currently, I always take a walking stick when I'm out and about. Obviously it gives me
stability, but I sometimes wonder if it makes my actual walking more hesitant, not a
fluid gait. But, it's probably a jerkiness I don't actually pay much attention to when
at home and nobodys' watching.
Uneven surfaces throw my balance instantly, I can't walk around the area I live because
the camber on footpaths is so uneven. Probably my eye problems exacerbate this too.
Yea I can not walk far either. I just bought myself a 3 wheeled walker. Now I just have to use it. I find that we can get around pretty good if we just use our tools! If you need a walker or a scooter, we do not lose our freedom.
Until last October, I used a cane. Now I have a walker ( actually a rollater like JC pictured) THIs has been so helpful. I try to get a round without it the few steps around the kitchen but am more & more staggerry. Last weekend I successfully used the cane rather than get the walker out of the car at garage sales but don't want to go back to it permanently at this point. I even have taken the walker out on the little (paved) lane back of us for some walking exercise but get very tired and dizzy doing it. I hope I can use the walker for a long time. One with large wheels would be good outside in the grass and gravel. At the grocery store, Wal-mart, $ General, etc. I use their walkers aka buggies or shopping carts. Once or 2ce at Wal-mart I used the powered chair but saw no advantage at this point for me. Once in a while I find myself in one place and the walker in another and wonder how I got there. I think these times are high risk times when we forget about our disability. At least I haven't fallen since I have been using the walker. I took a few bad falls turning the wrong way with the cane.
I can walk with a cane very well at this point however, as a safety precaution I use one simlar to Johns. I ordered mine with atttachments to make it a small wheel chair should I tire out.
I have the same one and love it!
John “JC” Colyer said:
I use this for longer distances and I get more exercise
I use a rollater, like JC. Note a couple of things versus an "average" walker:
1. The brakes, which are helpful going down ramps and getting out of chairs.
2. The cushion. which acts as a chair when you get tired,
3. The basket under the chair, where you can hold things.
Unlike others, I walk inside and use the walker out of the house, since I have handholds throughout the house. I used a cane, but I kept falling. I have a "travel" chair for long distances. The problem is that all the wheels are small and I have to be pushed. Tough in the bathroom.
I use a came once in a while, I cannot get passed the fact that I am only 48 and somewhat vain, I have fallen with the cane …The item that jc posted looked very helpful…
My husband has SCA2. You don't mention whether or not you are walking alone.
If you have someone to walk with I strongly recommend the Duet Transport Wheelchair/rollator. It is sold by All Time Medical and costs about $150 (shipping included). It looks exactly like the walker that JC has pictured but it has a foot rest that folds out by the front wheels and the back rest is on the opposite side. What we love about it is that my husband and I can go out and he'll walk for as long as he can. When he's tired he sits in the walker, we push out the foot rest and I can wheel him the rest of the way. He gets his exercise and I don't have to push him longer than necessary.
There are, of course, some things that need to be taken into consideration. The wheels are somewhat larger than those of a regular walker. This is good in that it makes it easier to manage, bad in that it takes up more room in the car than ordinary walkers - not a lot more but, in our case his normal walker fits behind his motorized scooter in the back of our van, the Duet does not. It needs to go in the back seat which can be a little tight if we have another couple with us.
The duet handles beautifully in a mall, movie theater or paved walkway both as a walker and as a wheelchair. Things get a little tricky on uneven sidewalks, etc, but that would be the same with any walker. As is the case with a wheelchair there are many doorways that have to be gone through backwards because even a little doorsill can be a problem. But, through trial and error, you learn what works and what doesn't, and where you can go and where you can't go. The duet has definitely enlarged our range, though.
What I have done is I began cycling with an adult tricycle. Every since I starting cycling it has improved all of my symptoms. I have better balance now, its a bit easier to walk, my tremors are more intermittant, and I believe my slur has lessened.
I can not use a cane. It makes my walking harder to do. My 3 wheeled walker is nice since I am so short. Child size really. It does have breaks and a pouch and basket. I use it in the house because it gets in all the rooms. It even has a tray so I can carry drinks. I just need to use it out.
Neuro physio told me that it is important to maintain good posture and therefore not good to use one stick.
I did try poles with the intention of standing up straight but need more support. I have now been given Fischer sticks
http://walkingsticksonline.co.uk/new/anatomical_walking_sticks.php
these work well for short to medium walks but if I use them for long walks, my wrists ache.
I havent got a rollator as yet but they certainly look a good idea.
Patsy
Mine was covered to at 100%
John "JC" Colyer said:
If your Dr. writes a Rx for a " Wheeled walker w/ seat" and diagnosed you with Ataxia and makes it a medical necessity, medicare in the US will pay 100%
John "JC" Colyer said:I use this for longer distances and I get more exercise
i fell on my 2 wheeler bad! a 3 wheeler sounds like that would be a good choice.
Michael Geilen said:
What I have done is I began cycling with an adult tricycle. Every since I starting cycling it has improved all of my symptoms. I have better balance now, its a bit easier to walk, my tremors are more intermittant, and I believe my slur has lessened.
A four wheeler walker is even better. Depends how unstable you are displaymom.
I had an adult tricycle which I enjoyed riding around our small town. Last time I rode it was okay but due to inclimate weather I didn't ride for a while, in the meantime, my balance got much worse so when I got a channce I sold the trike. THought it too much risk of falling--they are not stable with the single wheel in front. However, I wish I still had it for the exercise. That was something I enjoyed.
Also, Dr. wrote Rx for rollater, and I paid very little to get it & delivered to house. Medicare HMO paid the most of it.
Michael Geilen said:
What I have done is I began cycling with an adult tricycle. Every since I starting cycling it has improved all of my symptoms. I have better balance now, its a bit easier to walk, my tremors are more intermittant, and I believe my slur has lessened.
I am missing all the fun of cycling :(
granny h said:
I had an adult tricycle which I enjoyed riding around our small town. Last time I rode it was okay but due to inclimate weather I didn't ride for a while, in the meantime, my balance got much worse so when I got a channce I sold the trike. THought it too much risk of falling--they are not stable with the single wheel in front. However, I wish I still had it for the exercise. That was something I enjoyed.
Also, Dr. wrote Rx for rollater, and I paid very little to get it & delivered to house. Medicare HMO paid the most of it.
Michael Geilen said:What I have done is I began cycling with an adult tricycle. Every since I starting cycling it has improved all of my symptoms. I have better balance now, its a bit easier to walk, my tremors are more intermittant, and I believe my slur has lessened.
