How to Walk with Crutches: A Comprehensive Guide

Crutches are essential for anyone recovering from leg or foot injuries, offering support and mobility when you’re unable to bear full weight. Learning how to properly use crutches will make the experience safer and more comfortable. In this guide, we'll cover how to adjust your crutches, how to walk with them, how to navigate stairs effectively, and why consulting a physiotherapist is a great way to get started.

How to Adjust Your Crutches

Before walking with crutches, it’s important to ensure they are properly adjusted to fit your body. Incorrectly sized crutches can lead to discomfort or even injury. Here’s how to adjust them:

1. Stand Up Straight: Make sure you are wearing the shoes you’ll be walking in most often.
2. Handle Height: The handgrip should be at wrist level when your arms are relaxed by your sides. Your elbow should bend slightly (about 15-30 degrees) when gripping the handle.
3. Crutch Height: The top of the crutches should be about 2-3 finger widths below your armpit.
4. Check Posture: When standing still, your weight should be on your hands, not your armpits. Leaning on your armpits can cause nerve damage.

How to Walk with Crutches

Once your crutches are adjusted, it’s time to learn how to walk with them. It may feel awkward at first, but practice will make it easier. Here's the step-by-step guide:

1. Starting Position: Stand upright with both crutches under your arms. Keep the crutches slightly ahead of you, about shoulder-width apart.
2. Move the Crutches Forward: Move both crutches forward at the same time, roughly one step length ahead of you.
3. Step with Your Injured Leg: As you move the crutches, step forward with your injured leg. Let the crutches support your weight.
4. Step with Your Good Leg: Push down on the crutches' handgrips, then step through with your uninjured leg. The crutches and your injured leg should move together, while your uninjured leg provides support for the step forward.
5. Repeat the Movement: Continue this rhythm: crutches forward, injured leg forward, then good leg through. 

How to Go Up and Down Stairs with Crutches

Navigating stairs with crutches requires a bit more skill and attention to safety. Follow these steps to move safely:

Going Upstairs:

1. Face the Stairs: Hold both crutches in one hand, placing the other hand on the railing for support.
2. Good Leg First: Step up with your uninjured leg first, using your good leg to pull your body upwards.
3. Crutches and Injured Leg: Once you’re steady, move your crutches and injured leg up to the same step.
4. Repeat: Continue this pattern until you reach the top.

Tip: Remember the phrase "up with the good" to help you remember that your good leg leads when going upstairs.

Going Downstairs:

1. Face the Stairs: Position yourself at the top of the stairs, holding onto the railing with one hand and both crutches in the other.
2. Crutches and Injured Leg First: Move your crutches and injured leg down to the next step first.
3. Good Leg Follows: Once stable, step down with your uninjured leg.
4. Repeat: Continue this method until you safely reach the bottom.

Tip: Use the phrase "down with the bad" to remember that your injured leg goes first when descending stairs.

Why Seeing a Physiotherapist Is Key to Getting Started

While learning to use crutches can be a self-taught process, consulting a physiotherapist can greatly improve your recovery and safety. Here’s why seeing a physio is beneficial:

1. Personalised Guidance: A physiotherapist will assess your specific injury and provide tailored advice on how to use crutches without putting undue strain on other parts of your body.
2. Correct Techniques: They will ensure you're using proper techniques for walking and navigating stairs, reducing the risk of secondary injuries caused by improper crutch use.
3. Strength and Mobility Training: Physiotherapists can guide you through exercises that strengthen the muscles around your injury, promote faster healing, and improve your overall mobility.
4. Prevent Long-Term Issues: Using crutches improperly can lead to issues like back or shoulder pain. A physio will help you avoid these by teaching you the correct posture and movement patterns.
5. Rehabilitation Progress: Physiotherapists will monitor your progress, adjust your rehabilitation plan as you recover, and provide insights on when to transition off crutches.

By consulting a physiotherapist early in your recovery, you can gain confidence in using your crutches and make sure your healing journey goes smoothly.

Safety Tips for Using Crutches from our Physios:

• Take it Slow: Especially when navigating stairs, always go at a pace where you feel in control.
• Keep an Eye on the Floor: Watch for slippery surfaces or uneven ground, which can make crutch walking more difficult.
• Avoid Relying on Your Armpits: Your weight should be on your hands, not underarms, to prevent irritation or injury.
• Practice: If possible, practice walking with crutches and navigating stairs under supervision until you feel confident.

Learning to walk with crutches can take some time, but with patience, practice, and professional support from a physiotherapist, it will become second nature. Always follow your healthcare provider’s advice for using crutches and avoid putting too much weight on your injured leg until you're cleared to do so.

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