Are Walkers and Canes Dangerous?

Every year almost 50,000 people go to the emergency rooms because of falls that are linked to canes and walkers (according to a piece in the New York Times). Most of these accidents (87 percent) involve walkers while 12 percent involve canes. There are two things happening here - people are not learning (or being taught) how to use their walkers safely and the design of many of the walkers can use improvement.

If you know of someone who uses a walker, make sure their doctor or therapist has taken the time to teach them how to use it correctly. Sure, it may seem easy - but once you start thinking of all the obstacles like curbs, steps and corners, using a walker starts getting complicated.