Information for Healthcare Professionals
The Mobility DLF fact sheet on choosing walking equipment recognizes the use of shock-absorbing ferrules, indicating that they may be “particularly appropriate for people who are full-time users of crutches”. It also indicates the importance of monitoring and replacing the ferrules as part of general walking aid care.
ATcare user trials carried out from July to November 2009 were very positive and give evidence of the potential benefits of the FlexyFoot ferrule. 100% of the participants felt that FlexyFoot would improve their walking experience with positive reactions mainly focussed around "pain relief" and "increased grip".
The importance of ferrules
In research published in the British Medical Journal, 60 patients took part in a survey to assess the safety and suitability of their walking sticks. 23 of the sticks had ‘badly worn or lose ferrules’ and considerable wear was common for patients who had not been assessed and were therefore not being followed by a physical therapist. This result identifies a clear need for improved awareness of - and access to - replacement ferrules.
Many older people obtain their walking aids from informal sources and a study published in June 2009 found that 47,000 senior citizens in the USA end up in emergency rooms each year due to falls from improper use and fitting of walkers and canes. Again, the lack of professional input and its consequences highlights the need to convey the importance of a properly fitted and maintained walking aid.
The multiple benefits of pain relief
Studies have shown that your wrist receives from 1 to more than 3 times your body weight with crutches, a load the upper body was never designed to sustain. Spring loaded or shock absorbing crutches or ferules can reduce peak handle load by 24% when compared to standard crutches. This means less strain on joints, which in turn could reduce the risk of added complications associated with longer term crutch use.
In the Trial Report, ATcare concluded that: “The use of FlexyFoot is likely to reduce the impulse and rate of force rise, which may decrease the likelihood of developing complications associated with long-term walking equipment use. It is likely and has been shown in the FlexyFoot user trial, that the use of FlexyFoot will provide increased comfort.” ATcare also recommended that care be taken with patients suffering from neuromuscular conditions as FlexyFoot’s increased flexibility may cause them some stability problems.
Walking offers both psychological and physiological advantages that a person cannot gain through sitting or even using wheeled mobility. Regular exercise can help with any number of ailments so, encouraging the use of walking aids as an incentive to keeping fitter for longer will have a long term cost-saving advantage.
The future for FlexyFoot
Our aim is to ultimately offer 3 sizes of bellows to cater to all activity levels. The activity level number corresponds to the number of folds or convolutes in the ferrule’s bellows. Size 2 will be for low activity, offering medium absorbency and maximum stability for the slower walker and size 4 will be for high activity, offering maximum absorbency and flexibility for the fast walker or sport participant. Currently we are just offering size 3, which offers medium absorbency and flexibility for the average walker. We also hope to add another high-visibility colour to the range as well as ferrules more geared towards sporting activities.
For more information on materials, trials and testing, please contact David Goodwin, Inventor and Director of FlexyFoot. References -- Sainsbury, R. and G.P. Mulley. 1982. Walking sticks used by the elderly. British Medical Journal, 284 pp. 1751. -- Segura, A. and S.J. Piazza. 2007. Mechaincs of ambulation with standard and spring loaded crutches. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 79, pp. 1473-6. -- Disabled Living Foundation. 2006. Choosing walking equipment: DLF factsheet. DLF. -- ATcare report 0006-09-043, FlexyFoot User Trial, 9th November 2009, Author Benjamin Cox -- Gooberman-Hill, R. and S.Ebrahim. 2007. Making decisions about simple interventions: older people's use of walking aids. Age and Ageing Online, http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/ Copyright © 2000 British Geriatrics Society -- K Haglund. 2009. Many Injuries Occur With Walking Aids. Caring for the Ages. Vol. 10, Issue 10, Page 8.
