Do Away with Plain Walking Aid Sticks: Decorate!Written by Kay Zetkin
At a certain point of our lives, all of us have needed use of a walking stick, either as an aid or just plain lifeless but comforting companion. Look around you and you’ll realize how many young and old folks, alike need to use a cane as a walking aid for any number of reasons and different lengths of time. There may be a time when you experienced an accident that resulted to an injury from waist, down, or a time in boy or girl scouts on hiking activities, when you had difficulty walking on mountainous slopes. There may also be times when you need it simply as something to hold on to when walking into a dark alley and list goes on. Your parents, grandparents and even friends may also be one of many who have depended on canes, traditionally called walking sticks. As you come to get interested, you’ll find out more about this sturdy and dependable object. There are people who collect them and there are also countries that produce finest handcrafted ones that are gift and collector items. These walking sticks come a long way back, too. Even before time they were used as working tool and walking aids by hill men and shepherds. Indeed, there are apparent technological advances of walking aids for old and disabled folks already. Still, walking sticks are good handy crafts that are offerings of nature for those who do not like bulky and awkward aids that sometimes hinders movement more rather than help. You could make one to serve your own particular purpose. You could even make a bunch and design them each according to what use you’ll be getting out of them. There are certain tree branches that are straight and sturdy enough to become one of your personal walking sticks. You just need to wait a little time to dry them so that its bark comes loose and all you have to do is sand it a bit and decorate it.
| | When to Use Walking AidsWritten by Kay Zetkin
There are many factors that contribute to possession and use of walking aids. From childhood, almost all of us have been in a situation wherein we have needed and relied on walking aids, at certain times in our lives and during certain periods of time. Several factors may be due to leg injuries and bone dislocations that resulted from accidents, sports-related injuries and even those as simple as sprains. Some people also possess and use walking aids due to acquiring diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, which primarily affect bones. These factors became apparent when Center for Rehabilitation and Rheumatology at Amsterdam, The Netherlands spearheaded conduct of a medical investigation on possession and use of walking aids among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA). The medical investigation was also conducted in order to identify factors contributing to possession and actual use of walking aids. Method of investigation induced was through a random sampling of 640 patients with RA or OA. They derived this number from a database of 6,500 registered patients. A standard questionnaire sheets on possession and use of walking aids were released to patients for answering. Overall, 410 or 64% of target 640 patients completed said questionnaire. Among 410 patients, 223 have RA and 87 have OA. The assessment on demographics, disease-related characteristics and information about possession and use of walking aids was completed as based on patients’ answers. In determining which factors are associated with possession and use of walking aids, logistic regression analyses were used.
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