Some injuries can be almost completely healed within the span of a few weeks or months. Other injuries stick with you a lot longer. In some cases, they can stick around for the rest of your life. If you badly injure a leg, you may always need a cane or other form of support for walking around. The right (or in this case, wrong) kind of back problems can make it hard to walk at all some days thanks to pain and stiffness. If you have a major knee injury, you may not be able to walk up a long flight of stairs anymore.
Obviously, some changes to your lifestyle will have to be made. Some of those can be done quickly, while others will require you to make major alterations to your house or car.
Use the resources available to you
Did you realize you may be eligible for a handicap parking permit? A lot of people feel like they’re cheating somehow if they get a handicap parking permit without having an immediately visible injury. But just because you aren’t using a wheelchair doesn’t mean you don’t have a valid disability. You should talk to your doctor and see if they think you would qualify for such a permit. If they agree, then you’ll need to fill out a form, and your health-care provider will need to sign off on it. Then you should be able to submit the application to your local driver’s license office. If it helps you feel less guilty, remember that you don’t have to park in a handicapped space every single time you go out. If you’re having a good day and don’t mind parking in a normal spot, that’s your prerogative. Some people abuse the system by, for instance, using their grandmother’s parking permit to get free parking downtown. If you have a long-term injury, you aren’t one of those people.
It’s also a good idea to look up the latest research and developments on your condition. If you’ve gotten a knee replacement, sites like All About Knees may provide useful information. It’s true that you shouldn’t take everything you read on the Internet as gospel, but there are definitely some sites that are reputable and worthy of your time.
Upgrade your living space
Everyone wants to feel relaxed and at ease when they step into their house. If you can’t do that because of limited mobility, that’s going to be frustrating. It could also be dangerous if you, for instance, slip and fall in the shower. If you’re worried about bathing safely, start researching walk-in tubs. Rather than stepping over the lip of a bathtub with a bad leg, you can simply walk right into your American Tubs walk in tubs. Many models also include hydrotherapy massage jets, which can do a lot to ease the pain at the site of your injury.
You also have options for your commode. Installing rails on the side may be enough to give you that sense of security you’re missing. You can also add a raised commode seat that ensures you don’t have as far to go when you’re sitting down.
