#like i get wrist problems from using my crutches and require wrist support for that and that is not an extreme sport!!!!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

strawberrybabydog · 2 months

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this is a wierd question maybe but has a medical professional ever said anything at all about quadrobics?

i just know that in human pup safety courses they specifically dedicate a lot of time talking about wrist and hand injuries you can give yourself related to not playing properly and not using any wrist protection or support. MMA gloves are one of the most basic humanpup gears that they frequently stress is the Most important piece of gear you have because it's basically armor. and in humanpupplay, there is no running and jumping and parkour-type shit; youre just on the floor walking around or wrestling another dog. if its so easy to break your wrists doing that, imagine how easy it is to break your wrists with absolutely no protection whatsoever, running and jumping around?

youtube

(video from Gpup Alpha who is a humanpup educator AND doctor!)

iirc one of the entire points of the sport is to do it without protection to show off how adaptive or agile your body is. and honestly i think this is really terrible. this is a 1 way ticket to completely fucking up your wrists. again - if its easy to fuck up your wrists just by walking on your knuckles and knees, its even easier to do that when youre running and jumping and slamming your entire weight down onto your wrists without protection or support

i feel bad not having a real conclusion to this post. i want to say "go buy MMA gloves, go buy wrist support, go watch humanpup safety videos" but i am also not a medical professional and i have no idea what would work best here as protection against injury or longterm strain. maybe i'll say you should check in with a doctor before starting quadrobics and see what they recommend for wrist support because SOMETHING has to be better than forcing your entire body weight onto your hands and wrists this way (a fragile structure which has 8 bones btw!!)

be careful with your body. i dont care if you hate your body or do not identify with it. it is still a delicate machine that carries you through your life!!

#ugh every time i see vids of little pups doing quads with no wrist support i cringe its so hard to watch #every time they put their wrist on the ground im just like fuck thats gotta hurt. if it doesnt now itll start soon #like i get wrist problems from using my crutches and require wrist support for that and that is not an extreme sport!!!!!!#every time i see it i think about this video or another one gpup did about mosh safety #if it hasnt happened already its probably a matter of time before a cub wipes out and breaks their wrist and that super big mega sucks #begging. BEGGING for someone to invent a wrist/hand protection specifically for this sport. that is ideal #begging for someone popular in the quad community to consider safety #typing in quadrobics on youtube and safety is not even one of the autofills. nobody cares about this. like #i know they dont care cuz theyre not thinking about it cuz its almost exclusively pups who do this kind of thing but pleeeeaasseee #pleeeease dont fuck up your wrists before youre an adult PLEASSEEEE #alterhuman #therian #otherkin #quadrobics #Youtube

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disabled-dragoon · 2 years

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Any recommendations of what mobility aid to use for chronic hip pain? I’ve been looking into getting a mobility aid to help me but i can’t figure out which one would work the best?

Well, my first bit of advice would be to discuss this with a trusted doctor and/or physiotherapist when/if you are able as they should go through your options more thoroughly, and potentially find a mobility aid that suits your needs exactly.

That being said, here are a few options to consider. I don't really want to recommend anything outright because I don't know things like the extent of your pain and I don't want you to feel misled, but I figure maybe hearing some options from another disabled person with experience using them might help you make your decision:

I also answered something similar a while back which you can find here, which might be of some assistance.

Canes: Personally, I mainly use a cane to help with my stability and balance, but it does help to ease my hip pain. There's a very clear pain difference when not using my cane in comparison to using it, and I personally would recommend this option. Single point canes are great if you're just looking for a bit of support and pain relief in your bad leg/hip, however they're not a great option if you ever have to completely remove the weight from whatever side it's supporting. Three-point and quad canes offer a bit more stability and support, and they can stand by themselves- unlike single point canes. Again, I wouldn't recommend this option if you find you have to take all your weight off your hip, but for pain relief and balance support, they're great! You can also get seat canes (literally just canes that double as a portable stool) for when out and about, if you need to sit down due to pain. I've found this to be the easiest option to use when inside, being quite small and thin, and you can get foldable ones that you just carry around in a bag or something and whip out if your pain flares up, which is quite handy if you don't want to rely on it all of the time. If you're considering a cane please make sure you get it adjusted to the right height and learn how to use them correctly, otherwise you can cause yourself more pain.

Crutches: I haven't used crutches in a while but they're not bad. They work in a fairly similar manner to canes, except they can be more weight bearing. Plus, with forearm crutches you can strap them to your arm so there's less chance they'll fall when you're standing up. There is a chance if you fall while using a forearm crutch you can really hurt your arms, and cutches in general can require the use of a bit more upper body strength than a cane, but for the most part they're alright. You should also see that these are properly fitted to your height and weight requirements as well to ensure you get the best support possible. They do require a bit more practice than a cane to get used to, but you can use crutches as a pair or as a singlular device, and you can get different types depending on your needs.

Auxillary/Underarm crutches are probably the most common one people think of. Personally I don't like these ones; I think they're incredibly uncomfortable and painful sometimes, and they have been known to cause wrist pain and issues after extended use, or incorrect use. But they can be less cumbersome than forearm crutches which is a bonus, and they can be more weight bearing and supportive than a cane if you know how to use them correctly.

Forearm/elbow crutches are basically the same, but I find these to be more comfortable than auxillary crutches. They can be attached to your arm for a bit more support and personally I think they're somewhat easier to use than underarm crutches. I started using one when my hip pain was getting to be more of a problem and they're not bad- it was during a time when I had to walk around quite a bit and so would constantly agitate my hips, but the crutches made it easier to handle. It was a little awkward trying to move around indoors with them but they were still good.

Gutter crutches. I've never used these to be honest, but I've seen them and they look quite comfortable. They just look like forearm crutches with extra padding so I assume they work in a relatively similar manner but I could be wrong.

Walkers: I've only used a rollator (a walker with wheels) a few times and I can see the appeal but I can also see the disadvantages. If you're looking for pain relief that also offers a lot of balance support, this is probably your best option. If you're just looking for simple pain relief and support isn't too much of a concern, I don't think this is the option for you. Regardless, they're not bad. They can take a while to get used to and they're not as mobile as things like canes and crutches, but you can get ones with wheels and seats that make them easier to move so if that's something that appeals to you then maybe check them out.

---

I'm quite biased towards the cane to be perfectly honest, but mobility aids are always a matter of personal preference and need and so it really is just a matter of trial and error until you find the one for you.

Again, I would always recommend talking through your options with a trusted doctor or medical professional if you are able, and it might help to make a list of what you're looking for in a mobility aid to help narrow down your options as well.

Some questions to consider:

What do you want out of mobility aid? Is it just pain relief or is it something else as well like balance support?

What's your budget like? You can find decent mobility aids with a bit of shopping around but it's always best to have your budget in mind when doing so so you know what you're working with.

Will you be using it all of the time or just sometimes?

Do you want something portable for use as and when you need it or would be comfortable with something you'd have to carry around all of the time?

I hope this has been of some help to you in your search, and I hope you'll find the mobility aid for you. Like I said, it's all a matter of trial and error so please don't fret if you settle on one and realise later that maybe it wasn't the right option. That's just this works sometimes.

Good luck in your search!

#ask me anything #ask box #disability #disabled #actually disabled #chronic pain #disabilities #pain #mobility aid #mobility aid user #mobility aids

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dissociacrip · 2 years

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hi hi can I ask what mobility disabled/problems mean? who can call themselves that? if some1 has leg/knee pains and weakness so thy have difficulty/pain getting up/down/up and down stairs and sometimes pain when walking but don’t use a mobility aid.. can they say they are? would a cane or crutches be useful?

it's a difficult concept to define but a definition one could work with may be that if you have some kind of bodily dysfunction that prevents ambulation or makes it painful, difficult, or dangerous.

using myself as an example - i consider myself mobility-impaired but it's not necessarily a constant state for me, despite my gait and other abnormalities inherent to the way i move my body. i avoid stairs because they usually cause me excruciating knee pain due to their instability. physical exertion can put me in a state where i feel very weak alongside intense pain that makes it nightmarish to be upright and walk around + cognitive dysfunction that can progress into borderline delirium. my ankles often giving way on me also makes mw a fall risk. standing in place for too long will make me sick and being in the summer heat makes me a faint risk, and i really should be using a wheelchair once i go to uni to avoid the risk of a head injury but that's not gonna happen due to my shame and lack of funds. i don't use my cane often at the moment since i'm usually at work and can't use it there even though it's where i need it the most tbh but i usually use it for the support when i'm feeling especially weak/shitty/etc. for me it's less a matter of not being able to ambulate and more a matter of not always being able to ambulate safely or without pain.

from what you describe, that definitely seems like a form of mobility impairment! whether a cane or crutches would be useful isn't a simple question, though - deciding on mobility aids is a matter that requires a bit of research to figure out what exactly your needs are and what aids would assist in fulfilling said needs. canes have different types of handles and bases. a forearm crutch might be better than a cane for some people due to wrist strain that using canes can sometimes result in. if your leg problems are bilateral a pair of forearm crutches, rollator, walker, or a wheelchair might be better than a singular crutch or cane. it's a matter of figuring out what suits your needs and what you're comfortable with, which might require some experimentation. you also don't have to go with a singular mobility aid though - some people have multiple for when their needs change as their issues are dynamic like mine. from the sounds of it, you might benefit from one, and i encourage you to explore the options/wish you luck in living a more comfortable life <3

#asks #Anonymous

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spooniewarrior-eds · 4 years

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Living With Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

In 2017 I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3 (also called Benign Hypermobility Syndrome). "Benign" seems like the wrong word to use for what I have, because it has completely turned my life upside down.

Ever since I was a child I was extremely flexible, hypermobile, "bendy." As a young cheerleader and dancer, one of my "tricks" was that I could lay on the ground on my belly and touch my toes to my forehead from behind. I was like a circus performer. My mother knew that there was something wrong, but the doctors simply told her that I had a "lax ligament disorder." I was always getting injured, sprains and strains and unexplainable bruising. We had a set of crutches in our house that were adjustable because I was using them so frequently.

As I got older, my injuries became more severe, and my flexibility decreased. I began to have extremely weak wrists, making it impossible for me to be an effective base in cheerleading. I was never able to do cartwheels because my wrists couldn't support my weight without collapsing. In the winter I started to get joint pain so severe that I would cry. My hands would swell and turn bright red. My mother gave me my first Vicodin at 13 to try and decrease my pain.

However, the joint pain was pretty much the extent of my issues up until my mid-20s, so I consider myself relatively lucky. I was with my high school sweetheart until I was 25. I was by far not the same person that he fell in love with when we were 16. I was not only struggling with chronic pain, I was also in the middle of battling bipolar disorder and severe anxiety. His support quickly started to wane, and I felt its effects. We broke up early 2017.

From 2013-2017 I was being treated aggressively by a rheumatologist for what they believed was Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had been on countless medications, injectable chemotherapy drugs as well as an IV infusion of low-dose chemo every 6 weeks. I was SICK. Finally in about March, I was seeing a new rheumatologist who took over the practice and he was going through my chart and said "I don't think you have RA at all."

I'm thinking to myself, "Seriously? What else could it be?" He performed what is called a Beighton Scale Assessment in his office and I scored 8 out of 9, indicative of EDS. He immediately stopped all the RA meds I was on and sent out a request to my primary for a referral to genetics, who I saw in August of 2017.

So fast forward, I've been diagnosed at Brigham and Women's Hospital with EDS Type 3. At this point I have done quite a bit of research and everything made soooo much sense. At this point, these are the symptoms I'd had that were related:

- Soft, velvety skin that bruises easily - Hypermobile joints - Frequent subluxations of the joints - Delayed walking as a baby - Frequent ligament and tendon injuries

Between then and now I have seen a cardiologist, neurologist, and gastroenterologist (that's a whole story in itself). I've been told that I will likely require specialist care for the remainder of my life.

I have been extremely lucky to have the support system I have. My mother is my biggest advocate, and I am now in a relationship with a man who not only supports me, but understands what I'm going through (he's a two-time survivor of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma). He doesn't find my issues gross or annoying, and he's actually fascinated by my condition and wants to know more. He even found out that his step-sister ALSO has EDS, which blew his mind. He's affectionate and loving, checks in with me regularly, and doesn't treat me as though I'm made of glass (that took some convincing). My dad took a while to come to terms that this is a condition I will have forever. When I'm having an acute problem, though, he just sees that I'm sick. He doesn't see that this is a chronic problem and that I have to learn to live with it.

I'm hoping that this blog will help fellow EDSers realize that they aren't alone. I want to educate others and help people advocate for themselves. I will hopefully be writing a book someday on my experience. For now, this blog will be my space for EDS information, humor, and my life experiences. Maybe medical professionals will come across my blog and become more aware that this is an illness that is highly under-diagnosed.

#ehlersdanlossyndrome #eds #chronicillness #medicalblog #zebra #chronicpain #benignhypermobilitysyndrome #hypermobilitysyndrome

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jesseneufeld · 4 years

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9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat (No Barbell Required)

As great as back squats are for strength, general fitness, and body composition, sometimes they just don’t work for a person. Maybe they cause knee, shoulder, or wrist pain. Maybe someone’s body proportions aren’t conducive to proper back squatting. Maybe their legs are too long to achieve good depth without compromising position. While there are dozens of articles imploring you to mobilize this or that joint and work out the kinks in this or that muscle so that the back squat will work, and those can be very informative and helpful, some people just don’t want to back squat. For whatever reason, it doesn’t work for them.

Especially now, when gyms are closed and it’s difficult to get your hands on a barbell, you might be looking for alternatives to back squats that will keep your legs just as strong.

Plenty of other knee flexion exercises are worth doing. Let’s take a look at some of the best alternatives.

9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat

Air squats

Goblet squats

Front squats

Band Zercher squats

Bulgarian split squats

Resistance band split squats

Step ups

Walking lunges and Reverse Lunges

Tempo squat jumps

1. Air Squats

Don’t underestimate the efficacy of the simple bodyweight air squat. It’s great for mobility and surprisingly metabolically demanding.

To do air squats, start with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the knee, and come to a low “seat” in an imaginary chair. Keep a straight line between your tailbone and your head. Don’t think you can work your quads without heavy weights? Do a few high-rep sets of air squats and you’ll feel it. If you’d like an extra challenge, wearing a weighted vest or holding weights at your sides will add some extra oomph.

2. Goblet Squats

Goblet squats are easier on most bodies than back squats for two reasons: less weight is used (because you have to hold it in your hands at chin level) and they promote a more “natural” squatting technique. To perform a goblet squat, you hold a weight (kettlebell, weight plate, dumbbell, small child) at chin level, stay tall, and squat down between your legs while maintaining an upright torso. Many seasoned strength coaches use the goblet squat to teach beginners how to squat because it’s so intuitive.

That said, there are some extra details to keep in mind:

Tuck your elbows against your body. This creates a more stable “shelf” of support for the weight.

Keep your chest up.

Push your knees out.

Since you won’t be pushing heavy weights with the goblet squat, focus on higher reps and more overall volume. If things get dicey, dropping the weight in a goblet squat is way easier than dropping a barbell sitting on your back.

3. Front Squats

To me, front squats have always felt more natural than back squats. There’s less thinking about what your joints are doing and which muscle groups you’re supposed to be activating. You just squat with a weight in the front rack position and the rest follows. It’s hard to mess up and round your lower back because if you lean too far forward during a front squat, you’ll just dump the weight.

According to a 2009 study on front and back squats in trained individuals, front squats exert fewer compressive forces on the knee and “may be advantageous compared with back squats for individuals with knee problems such as meniscus tears, and for long-term joint health.”1 Furthermore, front squatting less weight resulted in identical muscle activation as back squatting more weight.

The more upright posture inherent to front squats is also good for people with lower back pain by creating less shear stress on the vertebrae. An important cue to keep in mind during the front squat is “elbows up.” This creates a strong, stable shelf for the bar and cues the torso to stay firm and unyielding to forward tilt. If your elbows dip, the rest will soon follow.

No bar? No problem. Grab two weights and hold them just above your shoulders, or hold a sandbag at chest level.

4. Band Zercher Squats

For resistance band Zercher squats, hold the band just below your chin, just as you would with a goblet squat. The difference here is that the hardest part is at the top of the movement.

If you have a bar, you can do a traditional bar Zercher squat, where the bar sits in the crook of your inner elbows about belly-high as you squat. This places more emphasis on the core and glutes. Anecdotally, people with knee pain during normal squats seem to do well with Zercher squats. As for the weight resting on the arms, it hurts at first, but you get used to it. And if you don’t, you can always use a pad or a rolled up towel to dampen the pain.

They kind of force good form, too. As you squat down with the bar in the crook of your arm, your elbows fit neatly between your knees and prevent them from buckling inward. As you come up, be sure to thrust your hips fully forward at the top and stand up straight.

Initiate bar Zerchers in one of two ways:

The more involved method – Deadlift the bar to just above the knee. Squat down, carefully letting the bar rest on your lower quads. Slip your inner elbows underneath the bar and stand back up.

The easier method – Place the bar on a squat rack set to about waist height or a bit higher. Slip your inner elbows underneath the bar and stand back up.

5. Bulgarian Split Squats

Several years ago, a strength coach named Mike Boyle made waves across the Internet by recommending against back squats and promoting Bulgarian split squats in their place. The split squat, he said, allows fuller loading of the legs being worked by removing the back from the equation. In a Bulgarian split squat, you place one foot behind you on an elevated surface and squat down until the back knee touches the floor (or a pad resting on the floor), keeping the weight on the foot in front of you. Getting your balance right can be tricky at first but once you’re comfortable it’s a great way to isolate individual legs without taxing your back. Many a trainee has woken up with throbbing glutes after a day of split squats.

Play with the height of the surface your back foot is resting on. If it’s too high, you’ll place stress your back. Lower the height if you find your back arching or your torso tilting too far forward. Stacking a few weight plates about six to eight inches high is good enough for most people.

6. Resistance Band Split Squats

As with weighted split squats, resistance band split squats start by placing one foot behind you on an elevated surface and squatting down until the back knee touches the floor (or a pad resting on the floor), keeping the weight on the foot in front of you. Instead of weights, you’ll grip a resistance band at chest height.

7. Step-ups

Step-ups are fun. And they’re different than every other exercise in this post because they begin with the concentric portion of the lift. Most exercises begin with the eccentric portion. When you start with the eccentric portion, you’re dreading the concentric portion the whole way down. When you start with the concentric portion, the hard part is over right away and you just have to control the descent. There’s also no bounce to use as a crutch — just like the first deadlift of the set. Some people hate them, some love them. They’re definitely worth a shot and are a fantastic way to hit the glutes.2

To target quads, hamstrings, and glutes, use a surface high enough that your knee is at 90° when you step onto it. The higher the box, the more glute and hamstring you’ll hit. Lower boxes will focus more on the quads. Try not to push with the off foot. If you find yourself pushing off despite best efforts, dorsiflex the off foot and touch down only with the heel.

8. Walking Lunges and Reverse Lunges

My go-to exercise when dealing with substandard hotel gyms is a few sets of walking lunges while carrying the heaviest dumbbells they’ve got. There’s something special about the combination of moving through space and lifting that adds a whiff of complexity and increases the training adaptations.

Lunges are relatively easy on the knees for many people who get knee pain during back squats. For others, it’s the opposite (but this post isn’t really intended for them). If you have problems with lunges, play around with the torso angles. Turning the movement into more of a single leg hip hinge by slightly leaning forward (shoulders over knees) can alleviate unpleasant forces to the knee.

To make them easier, forego the weights. To make them more challenging, add hand weights and a weighted vest if you feel like you need to ramp it up.

Walking lunges are awesome, but they require magnificent balance. And if you’re pushing heavy weight, any minor mistake during the initial descent can send you and the weight tumbling. They also require a lot of room. Reverse lunges are generally safer, more stable, and they don’t require much space (because you do them in place).

Instead of taking steps forward, you will step backward into your lunge and return to standing for each rep.

9. Tempo Squat Jumps

Start as you would an air squat, feet shoulder-width apart. Over a count of four, lower into a squat position. Explosively jump up, land soft, and lower your body back into a squat position, taking a full count of four to get there. You can watch Brian demonstrate this and all of the above squat alternative movements in this video.

youtube

That’s it for today, everyone. If you feel like you’re missing out on the barbells at the gym, I hope you’ve found at least a couple exercises in today’s post to fill the void — and get you a fantastic workout in the process.

Thanks for reading. What are your favorite alternatives to the back squat?

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References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19002072

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22237139

The post 9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat (No Barbell Required) appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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lauramalchowblog · 4 years

Text

9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat (No Barbell Required)

Especially now, when gyms are closed and it’s difficult to get your hands on a barbell, you might be looking for alternatives to back squats that will keep your legs just as strong.

Plenty of other knee flexion exercises are worth doing. Let’s take a look at some of the best alternatives.

9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat

Air squats

Goblet squats

Front squats

Band Zercher squats

Bulgarian split squats

Resistance band split squats

Step ups

Walking lunges and Reverse Lunges

Tempo squat jumps

1. Air Squats

Don’t underestimate the efficacy of the simple bodyweight air squat. It’s great for mobility and surprisingly metabolically demanding.

2. Goblet Squats

That said, there are some extra details to keep in mind:

Tuck your elbows against your body. This creates a more stable “shelf” of support for the weight.

Keep your chest up.

Push your knees out.

3. Front Squats

No bar? No problem. Grab two weights and hold them just above your shoulders, or hold a sandbag at chest level.

4. Band Zercher Squats

For resistance band Zercher squats, hold the band just below your chin, just as you would with a goblet squat. The difference here is that the hardest part is at the top of the movement.

Initiate bar Zerchers in one of two ways:

The more involved method – Deadlift the bar to just above the knee. Squat down, carefully letting the bar rest on your lower quads. Slip your inner elbows underneath the bar and stand back up.

The easier method – Place the bar on a squat rack set to about waist height or a bit higher. Slip your inner elbows underneath the bar and stand back up.

5. Bulgarian Split Squats

6. Resistance Band Split Squats

7. Step-ups

8. Walking Lunges and Reverse Lunges

To make them easier, forego the weights. To make them more challenging, add hand weights and a weighted vest if you feel like you need to ramp it up.

Instead of taking steps forward, you will step backward into your lunge and return to standing for each rep.

9. Tempo Squat Jumps

youtube

Thanks for reading. What are your favorite alternatives to the back squat?

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References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19002072

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22237139

The post 9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat (No Barbell Required) appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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yes-dal456 · 7 years

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Designer Reinvents The Crutch After 150 Years For A Better User Experience

Recently, with help from Doctor of Physical Therapy Lauren Jarmusz, I interviewed Max Younger, Co-Founder of Mobility Designed. Mobility Designed has been featured in Tech Insider and numerous media outlets. Max is an Industrial and Interaction Designer that holds multiple patents for his designs. He has experience working for Hallmark Cards and Dimensional Innovations. Max believes that mobility should be as pain free as possible and is redefining mobility with his invention, the M+D Crutch which supports the user’s weight with their elbows instead of their armpits. See our interview here:

vimeo

Marquis Cabrera: What is Mobility Designed? Where did you get the idea from?

Max Younger: Mobility Designed (http://ift.tt/1PfWoVa) is a company focused on creating and delivering Personal Assistive Devices that redefine mobility. We combine design and function to address the pain in the armpits, hands, wrists and shoulders that can be caused by traditional crutches.

The inspiration came from watching my dad, on and off crutches most of my childhood. He used them for various knee injuries/surgeries, and 6 knee replacements. In 2008, he became an above the knee amputee. This solidified my need to really solve this crutch problem. My dad is not one to complain about things but I knew it was a problem and he had damage to nerves in his hands and his wrists. My wife, Liliana, and I knew the armpit was off limits as it is not meant to support weight. We started working on it and came up with hundreds and hundreds of ideas...most of which didn’t work for various reasons. We built many prototypes, and came up with a better solution, the M+D Crutch.

Marquis Cabrera: What pain point are you solving?

Max Younger: Anyone who has used traditional crutches knows how painful they are. They cause pain in the armpits and forearm crutches can cause pain in the wrists, hands and shoulders with extended use. The M+D Crutch evenly distributes the user’s weight from the elbow through the forearm, eliminating pressure on those pain points.

Short-term users have a more comfortable experience during their time on crutches. The M+D Crutch offers an alternative for long-term crutch users. People that haven’t been able to use alternatives because of pain or damage to their hands or wrists and have been relegated to using a wheelchair as their only solution have been able to use the M+D Crutch. While each person’s situation is unique, we have heard many amazing stories from our users.

Marquis Cabrera: What is the difference between the M+D Crutch and Loftstrand Crutches in Europe?

Max Younger: The Lofstrand crutch (or forearm crutch) supports the user’s weight primarily on the wrists. Many long-term users report pain and nerve damage after years of using these types of crutches. Alternatively, The M+D Crutch, supports the user’s weight by evenly distributing it throughout the elbow and forearm.

Marquis Cabrera: What is your core product?

Max Younger: The M+D Crutch is a patent pending crutch that not only supports the user’s weight differently, it offers many other features and benefits that are unlike anything on the market.

The M+D Crutch supports the user’s weight by evenly distributing it throughout the elbow and forearm. The cradle unlocks, allowing users to reach for things without having to remove the crutch. It has a rotating handle that allows users to hold or carry things without taking off the crutches. Flexible armbands provide support while making it easy to get the crutch on and off quickly. The patent pending feet grip the Earth, absorbing some of the shock from the ground that can be easily be switched out for different terrains. Finally, the M+D Crutch is adjustable in both arm length and height from 4’11” to 6’8” to provide a customized fit for each user.

Marquis Cabrera: How is tech infused?

Max Younger: The M+D Crutch was designed by studying how people move and utilizing the natural resources the body has, we came up with the solution of using the elbows and forearms to support user’s weight instead of traditional armpits. This was a paradigm shift for the crutch world. Everything else in the market utilized the axillary region (armpits), hands or wrists.

The body of the crutch is designed and engineered to give a little with each step, while the cradle that holds the arm can click in and out to allow the user to do normal everyday tasks like brushing their teeth without taking off the crutches. The main body utilizes light weight composite materials, and the vulcanized rubber feet grip the earth with loads of traction, engineered to flow with the user as they move.

Marquis Cabrera: How did you take it from a product to a business?

Max Younger: Early last year, the M+D Crutch went viral with over 50 million views worldwide. Eight months before product was even produced, it was sold out. The first few rounds of product have sold out by selling directly to consumers at http://ift.tt/1PfWoVa. Our production has increased and we recently caught up with orders and have inventory in stock.

While we have had a lot of success selling direct to consumer online, we know that a lot of people would like to try the crutches before buying them. We are in the process of launching a national network of retailers that we anticipate driving a lot of traffic to.

Marquis Cabrera: What’s the size of the market is Mobility Designed going after?

Max Younger: The Global Personal Mobility Device space is estimated to be $12.7 Billion.

The US Crutch Market is a $320 million-dollar market with 10 million pairs of crutches sold annually. The M+D Crutch is currently shipping in the US, Canada and Mexico. We are working through regulatory requirements in other countries and expect to be able to ship to additional countries later this year.

Marquis Cabrera: Do you have a use case?

Max Younger: We conducted numerous rounds of research with actual users throughout product development including ethnographic and contextual research where users utilized the M+D Crutch for set periods of time in their home and work environments. Their feedback informed our product development and helped ensure that we are delivering a product that meets the needs of users with a variety of conditions.

Marquis Cabrera: Did you collaborate with any physical therapists on the build of the product?

Max Younger: We collaborated with both Physical and Occupational Therapists throughout the product development process. Their feedback has been helpful and we have been excited about their enthusiasm surrounding the M+D Crutch. They understand the pain points that we are trying to solve because they work with users who experience them every day.

Marquis Cabrera: Any “cool” products on the future roadmap?

Max Younger: While the M+D Crutch is our first product, we have a portfolio of new products in our pipeline that we will be launching in the next few years. We truly want to redefine mobility. There are a lot of opportunities to innovate in this space.

Marquis Cabrera: What advice would you give to someone looking to create “biotech-like” innovations?

Max Younger: Start by finding a clear problem to solve, go out, watch people and users in context to see for yourself. Be patient! It has taken us many years to get here. It is a regulated industry and it isn’t as easy as just launching a regular consumer product. Build a great team that has strengths where you lack. Build your ideas, test, and take your learnings to make something great!

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imreviewblog · 7 years

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Designer Reinvents The Crutch After 150 Years For A Better User Experience

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Marquis Cabrera: What is Mobility Designed? Where did you get the idea from?

Max Younger: Mobility Designed (http://bit.ly/2nr3Nep) is a company focused on creating and delivering Personal Assistive Devices that redefine mobility. We combine design and function to address the pain in the armpits, hands, wrists and shoulders that can be caused by traditional crutches.

Marquis Cabrera: What pain point are you solving?

Marquis Cabrera: What is the difference between the M+D Crutch and Loftstrand Crutches in Europe?

Marquis Cabrera: What is your core product?

Max Younger: The M+D Crutch is a patent pending crutch that not only supports the user’s weight differently, it offers many other features and benefits that are unlike anything on the market.

Marquis Cabrera: How is tech infused?

Marquis Cabrera: How did you take it from a product to a business?

Max Younger: Early last year, the M+D Crutch went viral with over 50 million views worldwide. Eight months before product was even produced, it was sold out. The first few rounds of product have sold out by selling directly to consumers at http://bit.ly/2nr3Nep. Our production has increased and we recently caught up with orders and have inventory in stock.

Marquis Cabrera: What’s the size of the market is Mobility Designed going after?

Max Younger: The Global Personal Mobility Device space is estimated to be $12.7 Billion.

Marquis Cabrera: Do you have a use case?

Marquis Cabrera: Did you collaborate with any physical therapists on the build of the product?

Marquis Cabrera: Any “cool” products on the future roadmap?

Marquis Cabrera: What advice would you give to someone looking to create “biotech-like” innovations?

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://huff.to/2nr3PTz

#Healthy Living - The Huffington Post

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