Walking With Crutches
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Crutches must fit well to be useful to you. Your crutches have been fitted so the top of the crutch is approximately two inches below your armpit.
The hand rests should be positioned so that your elbows are slightly bent and your weight can be supported on your hands and wrists.
Never rest your weight on your underarms. This can damage nerves.
Balance is basic to walking properly with crutches. To maintain your balance, keep your body in good alignment with your head held high, shoulders back and stomach and buttocks in. Using crutches takes practice. Some situations that require extra care are getting into and out of a chair, using stairs and walking through doorways. Here are some guidelines for using crutches in these situations.
Getting into a Chair
Get as close to the chair as possible and turn so that your back is facing the chair. Position crutches so that you can hold both in the hand of your uninjured side. Slide your injured leg forward holding the arm or the back of the chair and the crutches for support. Gently lower yourself into the chair.
Getting out of a Chair
Slide to the edge of the chair with your injured foot flat on the floor. Holding both crutches in the hand on your injured side, lean forward and grip the chair arm or back with your other hand. Push yourself up with your uninjured foot or leg. Transfer one crutch to the other side. Keep your injured foot or leg off the floor with the flexed knee if possible.
Using Stairs
Walking Up
Place both crutches in the hand on your uninjured side (if possible) and grasp the banister with your other hand. Step up on your uninjured foot and push down on the crutches and banister at the same time to support your weight. Lift yourself to the next step. Repeat.
Carefully approach the stairs. Transfer the crutches to the hand on your uninjured side and grasp the banister with your other hand. Lower your crutches to the first step, push down on crutches and banister and hop to the next step, or step carefully first with your injured leg and then your uninjured leg. Repeat.
Walking Through Doorways
Doors open either toward you or away from you. To get through a doorway opening toward you, stand to the side of the door and open the door with the hand on your uninjured side while supporting your injured side on the crutch. Be careful using self-closing doors, since your crutch can get caught. (Get assistance if you can.) For doors opening outward, stand in front of the door and open it with the hand on the uninjured side. While holding the door open with a crutch, walk through.