1. Field of the Invention
Applicant's invention relates to a medical apparatus whereby a standard crutch is modified so as to allow the resting of a lower extremity while standing or sitting and thereby reducing discomfort, pain and further injury while facilitating recovery and mobility.
2. Background Information
Crutches are very widely used to assist ambulation in people with various disabilities and of all ages. Depending on the severity of the disability or injury, one may require the use of crutches from a few days to a few weeks or months to an indefinite period of time. Common reasons for the short-term or long-term use of crutches include fracture or sprain of a leg, foot, knee or ankle, post-surgery, arthritis, partial paralysis, accident, sports or occupational injury, etc. And in today's mobile and demanding society, daily and prolonged use of crutches or the need to travel distances with crutches is often times unavoidable.
When using a pair of conventional crutches for support and limited mobility, many people complain of adverse side effects, like underarm soreness, a numbing sensation in the lower arms, back and shoulder fatigue or pain, lower backache, etc. For example, fatigue may be caused by the constant and unintended use of the arms with the aid of the crutches to compensate for the lower body's inability to support the body weight or the unsupported, injured leg. To relieve arm fatigue, one might then chronically lean on the axillary or underarm rests when not walking or moving about in order to support the weight of the injured leg while the injured leg is off the ground. In turn, this will lead to temporary paralysis of the radial nerve, as manifested by underarm soreness and a numbing sensation in the arms. Another consequence of these problems is that they may force the user to use the injured or impaired leg more than necessary, and thus exacerbating the underlying problem.
Nevertheless, keeping weight off the injured extremity is essential to safe crutch walking, promoting effective healing and in avoiding permanent tissue and bone damage. It may also provide some pain relief. At any rate, it often helps to slightly bend the knee. But when one is using crutches, standing for an extended period of time may be unavoidable, which may lead to fatigue, pain, or worse because the body (e.g., the lower back or shoulders) has to constantly compensate for and support the “dead weight” of the impaired and dangling leg. Furthermore, places to sit down are just not always available or convenient. When there are places to sit then there is the problem of how to properly rest the leg with the injury, as resting the injured leg may result in an uncomfortable and painful pressure point from continuous contact with the floor or ground.
In summary, problems and shortcomings associated with the use of standard crutches on their own are sometimes unavoidable. These shortcomings and problems challenge both the short-term and long-term health and safety of the individual and progress or recovery time.
The present invention can reduce the unintended adverse effects of the use of standard crutches, e.g., pain and fatigue, facilitate the healing process and increase the comfort of the user by physically resting the injured leg (with the knee bent or flexed) on the leg support portion of the modified crutch and therefore not requiring the rest of the body, e.g., shoulder, hips and lower back, to compensate for the “dead weight” of the resting unsupported and dangling lower extremity. Such benefits from use of the current invention can be achieved while sitting or standing.