If you’ve broken a bone or sprained a muscle in your leg or foot, than you’re most likely familiar with crutches. They can be a real pain in the butt, but they don’t have to be. Crutches can be made really easy if you follow these crutch tips. Here’s your ultimate guide on crutch survival.
Avoid Using Your Weight
After you’ve been on crutches for awhile you may notice that your armpits start to hurt. This is due to the rubbing and pressure that they have to endure when you walk. Your armpits are a really sensitive area of your body and don’t heal very quickly, so it’s best to avoid this. In order to prevent armpit pain, use your arms instead of leaning on the top of the crutch whenever possible. It will be worth it in the long run.
Height Adjustment
Although most doctors will give you a rough overview, it’s really important that you have the height of the crutches set to a comfortable level. This will make it easier to walk and will result in less annoyance and pain. There will be little notches for the pin to stick through. Most crutches will have heights next to them, allowing you to adjust your crutches to your correct height. Everyone’s different, so try going an inch above or an inch lower just to test out if you like it better.
Sliding Your Foot
When you walk, it’s best to slide the foot that isn’t injured instead of hopping. This will help with preventing falls if you lose friction with your crutches. This is one of the most important crutch tips because falling can result in you being stuck on crutches even longer, or ending up in a wheelchair. Slide your foot an inch above the ground with each step. You’ll save a lot of energy doing it this way as well.
Get a Backpack
If you don’t already have a backpack, get one! It’s very difficult to carry anything when on crutches because your arms are holding you up, and you can’t walk with just one arm. You can put all your books and other items in your backpack, allowing you to carry your items without using any hands. Keep your backpack light because it is a bit harder to walk with one weighing you down and making you back-heavy.
Find a Good Friend
The best piece of advice is to find a good friend that’s willing to help you out. If you’re still in school, you can often request for yourself and a buddy to leave the classroom a little early to get to your next class. They can help you carry your stuff, and you won’t get bumped around in the hallway.
