Crutch, Cane or Walker?

My brother had knee surgery a few years ago and after the surgery, his doctor inquired as to whether my brother wanted crutches or a walker to use while the knee healed. My brother opted for crutches, which came as no surprise to me as not only do I know my brother very well, but I also have noticed the status we as a society apply to the use of crutches, canes and walkers. We also as a nation place a high premium on youthful attributes, and that also impacts the choices we make even on something as mundane as a cane or a set of crutches.

Crutches imply an accident, something that can happen to any person of any age. Using crutches states that someone has broken, strained or fractured a leg, foot or ankle, but that the problem will heal and that the person using the crutches, regardless of age, will soon be walking on his or her own again. Crutches suggest a temporary condition, a condition that will change in the near future, and that has nothing to do with the age of a person.

Canes open up a whole new train of thought. Be honest now, when you think of someone using a cane, does the image of a tottery little old man come to mind, a man who cannot walk properly without the aid of the cane? I surely get that picture when I think ‘cane’. Canes also hint that the injury or problem is permanent; the person will always need assistance of some sort to get around properly, and will never again stride along confidently as he did in his youth. In short, canes infer old age and infirmity, a permanent condition that can never change.

Then we move to walkers. Most people associate walkers with little old ladies in the senior citizens’ home. Walkers scream “permanent disability” in loud, strident tones. We see little old people shuffling down the hall or through the mall using their walkers and realize that the walker will most likely always be an extension of that person, a third leg that offers support and stability, and a leg that the user cannot do without.

My brother, of course, chose crutches over a walker to recuperate, as he considers himself a young man and wouldn’t use a walker on a bet. I can’t imagine him ever willingly consenting to use a walker (or a cane, for that matter) regardless of his injury or infirmity.

My sister recently broke her foot and she hobbled around on crutches for six weeks. She wasn’t given the option of using crutches or a walker due to the nature of the break, but if she had been given the choice I guarantee you she would have selected the crutches. No one wants to appear old, infirm or incapable, so crutches beat out walkers as a choice any day of the week.