Medical Walkers Market Size

Medical Walkers Market Analysis

The Medical Walkers Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.25% over the forecast period.

The onset of COVID-19 created a global public health emergency, and the long-term effects are projected to impact industry growth during the forecast period. Assistive technology (AT) was considered non-essential, and restrictions were imposed on them. This led to declining assistive care services in hospitals and less demand generation for assistive products such as medical walkers during the pandemic. WHO conducted a survey in 2021 in collaboration with UNICEF and with some universities such as University College London (UCL) and non-profit organizations, and as per the survey results, AT users faced a lack of access to AT services, including assistance with the maintenance and repair of their assistive products. Due to AT being considered non-essential, the supply chain for the products was hampered during the initial phases of the pandemic. As medical walkers have a significant user base, the decline in AT services and supply adversely impacted the studied market. However, due to vaccination programs globally, COVID-19 cases are under control, and services are provided at the pre-pandemic level. Due to this, AT users can now access all the assistive services and products, such as medical walkers, in terms of their needs. Thus, it is expected to have a considerable impact on the market studied and is expected to grow at a steady pace during the forecast period.

Factors such as a surge in orthopedic conditions, rising short-term disabilities and medical emergencies, growing incidences of musculoskeletal injuries, and other chronic diseases, coupled with the rising geriatric population, are expected to drive the growth of the studied market during the analysis period.

Most people who are disabled or have any chronic musculoskeletal conditions use medical walkers as assistive devices. According to the data updated by WHO in February 2021, approximately 1.71 billion people had musculoskeletal conditions worldwide in 2020. Among musculoskeletal disorders, low back pain caused the highest burden, and nearly 568 million people lived globally with back pain. Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries.

In addition, according to the 2021 update by CDC, nearly 19.4 million adults in the United States could not walk a quarter mile. Around 40.7 million adults in the United States have at least one physical function disability. Thus, the high prevalence of physical disabilities is expected to demand medical walkers, fueling the target market growth.

Favorable reimbursement policies offered by organizations such as Medicare are estimated to propel the adoption rate of these devices. Walking aids such as medical walkers are covered under Medicare's durable medical equipment category. As per Medicare.gov, a federal government website managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare Part B pays for nearly 80% of the approved devices while the patient pays for the rest, 20%, in the United States. Also, end users can use any Medicare-approved supplier to repair a walker. Thus, the affordability of the products is facilitating the demand for medical walkers and is expected to accelerate the market growth during the forecast period.

However, the increased risk of accidents and falls and reluctance by medical professionals to recommend medical walkers may hinder the growth of the studied market.