wheelchair is a piece of medical equipment that is used for transportation by people who have difficulties in walking as a result of  an illness or a disability.  If a wheelchair is needed for a permanent disability, it should be prescribed by a physician or a therapist.  However, if a wheelchair is to be used only occasionally for a brief illness, injury or for convenience, it most likely can be purchased or rented at a retail store that specializes in medical equipment. Careway Wellness Center, in Woburn Massachusetts, carries a complete line of wheelchairs for purchase or for rental.  The professional sale’s associates at Careway Wellness Center suggest that if the wheelchair is needed for more than two months, it should be purchased; however, if it is to be used for shorter periods of time, say for a very temporary illness or injury, or to attend a celebration; such as a wedding or graduation, one should favor the rental option.  Unfortunately, we are unable to execute a rental transaction online, however, knee walker rentals can readily be executed over the phone.

A manual wheelchair is extremely easy to use.  Wheelchairs are configured with four wheels; two large wheels in the rear and two small wheels in the front. The manual wheelchair is put into motion by the occupant by propelling the large rear wheels in the direction of travel. This is done by using the hand rims, which are attached to the outside of the large rear wheels.  The hand rims are merely grasped by the occupant and pushed forward or backward allowing the large wheels to propel the wheelchair either forward or backward. Should the occupant be incapable of propelling the wheelchair on his or her own ability, there are handles behind the seat for a caregiver to do the pushing.

Foot propulsion of the wheelchair by the occupant is also common for patients who have limited hand movement capabilities or simply do not wish to use their hands for propulsion. Foot propulsion also allows patients to exercise their legs to increase blood flow and limit further disability

A transport wheelchair is designed to only be propelled by another individual and is sometimes referred to as a companion chair or rollabout chair. Transport chairs have four small wheels instead of two small and two large. They come in different widths and weight capacities and are usually the same basic frame as a standard manual wheelchair. We carry all the top transport chair brands including Medline, Essential and Nova.