If you have an injured leg or if you have undergone a surgical procedure in your foot or leg, you may be advised to use crutches. In general, for walking with crutches, your upper body should be strong. You should also have the required flexibility for using them. But, if there are injuries in both the legs or if there is an injury in the arm, crutches cannot be used. You need a different type of support for such problems. The following tips may be helpful for using crutches.
- The size of your crutches should be appropriate and this means that you should not face problems while walking with crutches. When you stand upright, their position should be about two inches from your armpits. Likewise, the handles of the crutches should be at hip height. This will help you in grasping them comfortably and tightly. Your elbows will bend slightly while you hold the handles. If the crutches are not of the appropriate size, you cannot use them comfortably.
- There should be ample cushion on the crutches. Otherwise, there will be discomfort under the armpits and also when you grip the handles. Even the base of the crutches should have sufficient cushioning. If these cushions wear out, you can get them replaced.
- While walking with crutches, you should first move both the crutches to a comfortable, short distance. The body should swing forward, for which you should get the support with your hands. When you swing, you should move as if you will be using the injured leg first, though in reality, you will not be using it. During this process, your weight should rest on the handles of the crutches. The support should come from your hands and not by allowing the crutches to touch your armpits.
آ In fact, the crutches should not rest on your armpits even while resting. You should then move your normal leg forward by swinging it and place it on the ground in front of you. By shifting your weight to this normal leg, you can start the next step. During the whole process, the crutches should be kept a little away on the sides so that you can have more room. You must focus on your direction and not on how you move your feet.
- To buy crutches, the best way is to search online and find out the manufacturers and dealers of crutches and crutches accessories. You should have your specifications ready while doing your search. You can compare the features as well as the costs and choose the most appropriate one that suits your specifications and budget. But, you are advised to bestow more attention on the size because if you buy crutches of the wrong size, you may face utmost discomfort while using them.
- Even after buying them, you should slowly practice and learn how to use crutches. Once you learn it, you will not face any problem while walking with them.