Suitable for You?
For most people suffering lower leg, foot and ankle injuries, the answer is YES! iWALK 3.0 is a great way to improve your qualify of life during your rehabilitation.
If you could walk reasonably well, absolutely unassisted, prior to your injury or condition, then you can iWALK. The iWALK 3.0 can restore the mobility you lost due to your injury. It cannot provide you what you didn’t already have.
That said, since every physique and every injury is unique, we recommend that you always consult with your health care professional before using the iWALK 3.0.
NOTE: Casts or medical boots are usually not a problem for the iWALK 3.0 but if you are currently wearing one and planning on purchasing an iWALK 3.0, please take a look at the link below for hints, tips and guidance.
What sort of injuries is the iWALK 3.0 best suited for?
If you have a lower leg, ankle or foot injury that is required to be non-weight bearing during recovery, then, in most instances, iWALK 3.0 will work for you.
Typical injuries include (but are not limited to) any sprain, strain, fracture, dislocation or surgery to the lower leg, ankle or foot. Common conditions we experience are sprained ankles; fractures of the lower leg, foot or ankle; ankle fusion surgery; Achilles tendon injuries and surgeries; broken heels; foot surgeries such as bunion or foot ulcer correction.
iWALK 3.0 is also useful as a gateway device during prosthetic limb transition periods or as a shower / swim prosthetic for users of permanent prosthetic limbs. In short, if you’ve sustained an injury to your lower calf, ankle or foot, and you need to be non-weight bearing, then iWALK 3.0 can be used instead of conventional crutches.
The iWALK 3.0 works with plaster casts and air boots.
You are a good candidate for the iWALK 3.0 if:
- You are in generally good health and prior to your injury you were not challenged by normal ambulatory activities such as walking, climbing stairs, etc.
- Your injury is to one leg (or foot or ankle) only.
- Your injury is to the lower leg, ankle or foot and requires you to be non-weight bearing during your rehabilitation.
- You are between 5’0” (152CM) and 6’6” (198cm). The iWALK 3.0 is fully adjustable for a wide range of heights and leg sizes. If you fall outside of this range, iWALK 3.0 might still work for you, but contact us for an individual assessment first.
- You weigh 275 pounds (125 kg) or less and your maximum leg circumference is 27 inches (69 cm) or less (measurement taken as high as possible on the thigh).
- You are wearing a cast, and it doesn’t extend above an couple of inches below your knee. You can pad the knee platform to relieve pressure on the top edge of a taller cast.
Knee Crutch Sizing
A good quick test to see if the iWALK 3.0 might be suitable is to place the shin of the injured leg (with your leg bent 90 degrees) on a padded bench or chair. If you can carry weight in this manner for a few minutes and the shin and knee remain comfortable, this is a good indication that iWALK 3.0 will work for you.
Here is a guide to the minimum and maximum upper and lower leg lengths:
NOTE: There are exceptions to the guidelines provided above, so if you fall outside of those listed here, don’t be discouraged – just give us a call so we can discuss your specific circumstances.
The iWALK 3.0 isn’t for everyone
We wish that we could help everyone avoid the pain and inconvenience of using crutches, but we can’t. While the iWALK 3.0 can and does bring new mobility and functionality to your life, it does have its limitations.
NOTE: The iWALK 3.0 may NOT be suited for people that:
- have injuries to the knee, upper leg or upper half of the lower leg.
- have poor health, diminished strength or have walking or balance challenges
- have a replacement knee or hip joint on the leg where you intend to wear the iWALK 3.0
- are significantly overweight (and might be better served with other mobility devices)
- are unwilling to spend one to three days to become completely proficient in using the iWALK 3.0 (we’ve seen cases where users get used to iWALKing in 10 minutes, but everyone is different).
We’ve a large collection of user videos to give you an idea of what using an iWALK 3.0 is like, or you can go to the shop. Use the buttons below.
Still not sure if iWALK 3.0 is for you?
We’re here to help. If you fall outside of the initial guidelines set here, you still might enjoy total success with iWALK 3.0, however, before you decide, let us know the specifics of your particular case by contacting us.
To get in touch by phone, please call us on 03300 240966.
Email us at sales@bearproducts.co.uk
REMEMBER: If you could walk reasonably well, absolutely unassisted, prior to your injury or condition, then you can iWALK.
The iWALK 3.0 can restore the mobility you lost due to your injury but it cannot provide you with what you didn’t already have!
