I’ve had problems with knees buckling for a few years now, first with the left leg, now both, though not usually together, and my ankles sometimes seem too lax in that they over-roll too easily, with the result that I over balance if executing a quick turn and have to stick out my other leg to counter balance the lean. Fortunately, I have generally been able to recover my balance and stride within seconds without actually ending up on the floor, though occasionally been grateful to bounce off a nearby wall or person. However, last night in the dark returning to bed after the loo. I stepped barefoot on a hairdryer power cable and simply lifting my foot off it in surprise though not particularly in alarm, seems to have so completely and inexplicably thrown my balance that I ended up crashing to the ground. I could understand it if I had stepped on the plug! Got me thinking I should check out my balance and I saw this test on a web site:
Dammit I dont think I am even getting in the 70 year old bracket as I seem to wobble immediately. Anybody else want to have a go?
As I was walking home one evening, I was going round an uphill curve with a wrong camber, missed a jab with the walking stick, executed a 180 degree spin, and collapsed on a low brick wall of a Working Men’s Club, which surprised me.
Even more surprising was the sight of a crutch, lying there, apparently abandoned, on the other side of the wall.
I tried it just now. Admittedly it was on carpet, not a hard floor, but I couldn’t even manage 2 seconds without wobbling. I’ve always had problems when my neuro asks me to walk heel-to-toe to test my balance. I don’t fall over that often. Clinging to a wall as I go round the house helps, and I use two walking sticks or a Rollator when I’m out.
Goodness gracious me Mr Owen I tried to take the test because your description was so familiar to me.
How did I get on? I stood up wobbled, took 3 steps forward, wobbled some more, closed my eyes and wobbled some more, tried to raise my foot off the ground, and guess what? Nearly fell over!
I don’t use crutches or sticks, they won’t prevent me loosing my balance and will just trip me up more!
I don’t fall, I just seem to go! I was an idiot just for a change in the summer, decided to potter in the front garden and lean on a stick which then broke and I had a face full of dirt. In the back garden I just hit the deck and after waiting a while and swearing, checked to see nothing was injured - only pride this time.
Last year I went with a friend to Wales. We were crossing the road, I had my stick, the next minute he had fallen and was rolling around in the gutter! ‘Attention seeking again?’ I asked, amazed that it was him and not me.
I take my lovely stick everywhere now just in case a foot or toe or hip decides it has had enough for the day. It also is useful for smacking people’s ankles who think they can push you further into the queue and you can apologise very sincerely saying you didn’t see they were so close. If I’m in a mood and need to walk off some anger, I take two sticks because on my return journey I will have found that I stomped off too far and can hardly make it back without both sticks.
I am just about to choose a walker with wheels. The physio suggested one with a bag and a seat so when I am pooped, I can stop and rest. Any suggestions?
Love the Balance test, I thin I must be in the 95 + bracket. My pathetic excuse for a carcass takes every opportunity to try and throw me to the floor. Face-plants and reverse ground head butts are my most practiced skill. For me the getting up again is such a bar-steward that I try really hard to resist the gravity based attention seeking. The only time I ended up in A&E was when I fell out of a pub ! As I had been drinking Elderflower Presse I was severely hacked off. If I do drink alcohol it does make the falling even easier but I stop caring so much about the getting up.
If I stand in the shower and shut my eyes (due to Shampoo) I have about 3.5 seconds to open them before an attempted dive occurrs.
I asked my neurologist about this and it seems to be related to poor signal paths between my feet,legs and brain, so to make up for the lack of balance feed back to the brain I need to use my eyes to have any sort of chance to stay upright. I have also developed various bump, bounce / grab strategies to navigate around the house. Clearly I can not use these so much outside for fear of arrest! so the Rollator becomes the anti gravity tool of choice.
Any fall I get up from is treated as a learning opportunity
I settled on a Torpo Troja Classic after checking out a few other poorly made examples and very happy with the build quality. They are more expensive than most and guess it depends on how much you need to rely on it.
Back in the day , when i could walk with a stick , i had the habit of tripping up over next to nothing . Once i started to fall i would throw the stick out of my way . One day i tripped in the street . As i was about to get up an old couple ( both in 70’s) ran over to me . The man started to try and help me get up . He was pulling with all his might and not getting anywhere . At this point i had to tell him he was stood on my hand !
The friends who were with me , who knew just to let me get up myself , fell about laughing . As did i once i was up and after thanking the old couple .
I second Whammels suggestion of a Topro Troja. They are the best I’ve tried. They don’t come very cheap but they do last. And the brakes stand up to a lot of use (which I do as I lean very heavily and walk so slowly), Which is not the case with cheaper walkers, the brakes fail quite quickly on a cheap one. The other benefit of the Troja is that the seat is great for putting my feet up on which stretches the muscles and makes it slightly easier to walk. So I stand from the wheelchair in the hall, stagger the few feet to the settee, put my feet up on the seat for an hour say, I then usually find I can walk a few metres before collapsing in a heap in the wheelchair. Well they say every little helps.
Thank you, it made me giggle - brakes! Can’t imagine I’de ever go fast enough for brakes but then I realised I would need them probably going down hill, that made me laugh even more. There is a big shop in Stoke, I will venture there in the new year.
The first time I ever fell in the shower was my first ever shower when I was about 12. I have never felt comfortable even growing up with the aspect of soap in the eye and still trying to stand up straight without falling over.
Thinking about the need for brakes does make you laugh, until the first time you use a walker to help prop you up. If you use it round the house, it’s not too bad on carpet but on a smooth (e.g. kitchen) floor, the wheels might go faster than your feet which is when you need brakes. If however, you’re OK in the house and are only going to use it outside, then hills will be the very devil. And actually the Topro walkers are probably better outside than a cheaper flimsier affair since the wheels will handle the flipping pavements pretty well. (I’ve got a bit of a grievance against pavements today as I’ve just been into town, OH was pushing the chair but OMG the pavements, dropped bits for wheelies, just the general condition, has exhausted the poor old man and I didn’t enjoy it much either!) Have a look online before you put your wallet within reach of a salesperson Hebe. Although, to be fair, it was an online salesman who I ended up talking to about my needs who directed me towards Topro.
Actually they look less ‘old ladyish’ too. Not that a walker is ever going to make a person look cool, but they do look a bit more ‘rock’ than many of the alternatives! (In my very humble, very disabled, middle aged view. Which bears no resemblance to a young, cool, able bodied viewpoint!)