Gaining new strength with the Ganymed forearm walking aid

Lea has done it: with an unshakeable will, an intensive training programme and the right equipment, she has made remarkable progress in her mobility. For a year now, she has been relying on Ganymed forearm walking aids, which friends of hers discovered at REHACARE.

When Lea was two years old, her legs refused to walk. Her father still remembers the fearful look on his daughter’s face every time she took a step. Her ordeal continued: she soon developed deformities in her legs and increasingly severe spasticity. Every movement became a challenge, while the doctors were baffled.

Lea’s disease is now well studied. An error in the CPT1C gene affects energy metabolism and triggers the observed disorders known as HSP (hereditary spastic paraplegia). But even if the symptoms do not progress, they affect the 27-year-old enormously. She was able to experience real walking for the first time in 2022 at the Neurological Clinic in Bad Neustadt with the help of an exoskeleton.

Ganymed walking aid changes things

Since taking these steps, Lea has been highly motivated. A year later, she received the Bioness L300 Go neuro-orthosis from the manufacturer Ottobock, which supports her when walking. Finally, her friends at the Hörnlein medical supply retailer in Lower Franconia brought her the Ganymed forearm walking aid as a gift from the last REHACARE. Lea now sees the walking aids with the new geometry as a turning point for her mobility. Although she was initially sceptical as to whether the modern design could really be an improvement, the Ganymed quickly proved to be an indispensable aid for her.

‘2 cm taller’ – Ganymed forearm walker relieves strain on shoulders and wrists

“The Ganymed simply feels more stable and secure. The fear of falling has become a little less,” reports Lea enthusiastically. The walking aid allows her to adopt a more upright posture as she sits up earlier and keeps her upper body straight. The new posture ensures a more stable gait, strengthens Lea’s back muscles and relieves pressure on her shoulders and wrists. This year, Lea decided to make a new attempt at greater mobility. Since then, she has followed a strict training plan consisting of physiotherapy, swimming, therapeutic horse riding and her own running training with the Ganymed and the Bioness system. Through regular running training with the help of the innovative support, Lea has built up muscles that she had actually given up since childhood. She is particularly proud of the progress she has made in her lumbar vertebrae, buttocks and calf muscles, which she would never have dreamed of. ‘I feel like I’ve grown two centimetres taller,’ she says with a laugh, explaining how her improved posture not only affects her walking, but also her sitting.

Pimp my Crutches

With the support of the Hörnlein medical supply retailer, Lea has managed to significantly improve her mobility and quality of life. Her story shows how innovative aids such as the Ganymed can change not only her gait, but her entire life. Over time, Lea has equipped her Ganymed walking aids with various practical gadgets. In addition to the Ossenberg mascot ‘Ossenbär’, these include an adjustable cup holder, a rear light and a bicycle lamp that shows her the way in the dark. These customisations make her walking aids not only more functional, but also more personal – and they give Lea exactly the freedom that she now rewards for her hard training.

Find out more about Lea on Instagram: Under the name lelly_1196, she gives insights into her everyday life with the Ganymed.

The Ganymed forearm walking aid – mobile with innovative geometry

Thanks to the superior GANYMED technology, people walk more comfortably, more upright and more liberated through rehabilitation, therapy and life.

• relaxed shoulders
• upright pelvis
• straight back
• healthy hand posture
• relieves pressure on joints

Want to find out more about the Ganymed? Find out right here in the Ossenberg shop!

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