How To Use Crutches To Walk Safely

Here's How To Use Crutches To Walk Safely:

• Scoot forward to edge of the chair with injured or painful leg out in front of your body.
• When sitting in a chair, place both crutches on the opposite side of an injured or painful leg.
• Span your hand across both hand grips. The back of your elbow should be pointing up high.
• Push up with your strong leg. One hand should be on the crutches and the other hand on the chair.
• Stand steady for a moment to balance and obtain full upright posture.
• Reach across the front of your body to take one crutch so that now both hands have a crutch.
• Spin the crutches around and place them securely underneath your armpits.
• To step forward, place both crutches ahead of your body.
• Step forward with the injured/painful leg until parallel to the crutches and place the appropriate weight, if any, down on the forward foot.
• Push down hard with your arms to raise and lift your body upward to take weight off the injured leg.
• Step forward then with your good/strong leg. You should step past the crutches and opposite leg.
• Congratulations, you have just completed one step!
• Repeat sequence from Step 8 to continue walking.
• To sit down, remove both crutches from armpits and place on side opposite of hurt leg.
• Move and extend hurt leg forward a bit to prepare for sitting and reach back with your free hand to grasp the chair to sit down safely.

Tips:

Replace crutch tips when worn to prevent slippage when walking. Don't lean down on crutches. Excessive armpit pressure can lead to arm pain, numbness or weakness.

Ask your doctor to see a physical therapist to learn more about walking with assistive devices.