Crutch Walking
Learning to walk with crutches can be difficult. Follow these tips and you will be more comfortable.
Stand straight, shoulders relaxed. Hold crutches under arms. Hold hand grips. Keep elbows slightly bent. Keep casted leg out front. Move crutches forward slightly ahead of uncasted foot, while keeping your balance on your uncasted leg. With the crutches firmly on the floor, push down on your hands and hop forward on uncasted leg.
Special Tips
- Never lean on underarm pieces. This can cause nerve damage in the armpit. Always push down with your hands.
- To go upstairs; keep casted leg and crutches on the ground. Push down with your hands and hop up onto the step with uncasted leg. Straighten uncasted leg and bring casted leg and crutches up onto step.
- To go downstairs; face stairs. Put crutches and casted leg lower step. Push down with hands. Hop down to step on uncasted foot.
- Make sure there are rubber safety caps on the bottom of the crutches to reduce slipping.
Contact Us
If you need to reach the Orthopaedic Nurse before 4 pm, Monday through Friday, please call 513-636-4567. After 4 pm, and during weekends and holidays, please call 513-636-4200 and ask that the Orthopaedic Resident on call be paged.
For additional information on this or any Health Topic, please call the Family Resource Center, 513-636-7606, or your pediatrician.
PEP 2013 II 6/86; Revised 5/05, 10/06
