You can find them in the training rooms of such NFL teams as Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and the Pittsburg Steelers. NHL star and Stanley Cup champ Nick Bonino, world-class surfer Kelly Slater and Olympic hurdler Ronald Forbes owe their careers to them. You can also spot them being worn by such reality show stars as OC Housewife Tamara Judge, New Jersey Housewife Siggy Flicker and EXTRA host Mario Lopez. Oh, and even movie star Harrison Ford is a fan. So what is causing such a sensation?
The iWALK 2.0 is a hands-free device and an alternative to crutches. Winner of the NOVO award for ingenuity, the iWALK 2.0 resembles a modern version of a Pirates “peg leg” that straps to the area just below the knee of the injured leg, allowing users to walk naturally. Today, the product is used at such prestigious institutions as HSS, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School and the Cleveland Clinic.
iWALK company president Brad Hunter, who led the redesign of the original product to its current incarnation, said that the iWALK 2.0 is quickly growing in popularity as users realize its benefits.
“Think about how your life is hampered by crutches,” Hunter asks. “You can’t use your cell phone at the mall, walk down the aisle at your wedding with bouquet in hand, drink your Starbucks while shopping, push your baby in a stroller, take your dog for a walk, keep up with your friends in daily life or a million other things,” said Hunter. “It’s about time that we usher in an alternative to crutches which have been around for centuries.”
Approximately 732,000+ Americans annually need crutches to remain ambulatory including:

· 70,000+ Americans with ankle and foot fractures (Nat’l Trauma Data Bank)
· 420,000 Americans with shin bone fractures (Nat’l Center for Health Statistics)
· 185,000 Americans with lower leg amputations – many whom suffer from diabetes (Advanced Amputee Solutions)
· 57,600 Achilles tendons ruptures (Nat’l Institutes of Health)

In addition to its convenience, there are also health benefits associated with the iWalk 2.0.
“The muscles around your upper leg and hip atrophy by as much as 2% a day while on crutches. Studies have shown that the rate of muscle loss for those using the iWALK 2.0 is nowhere near that great,” says Hunter. “Also, blood flow to the lower extremities is typically reduced when using crutches thus hampering the healing process. Additionally, the transition between using crutches and walking without them can be difficult, but the iWALK 2.0 makes the transition seamless.”
Hunter discovered an earlier incarnation of the product – a much more primitive version – that was crafted by a Canadian farmer, who invented it so that he could tend to his family business. When Hunter, an entrepreneur with a background in engineering, manufacturing and designing high-performance bicycle wheels learned of it, he struck a deal with the farmer and went about perfecting it. The result is the iWALK 2.0. In his quest for continued improvement, Hunter continues to work with the Motion Analysis Research Center at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calif.
For more information about iWALK 2.0, visit iwalk-free.com.