1. Pressure (weight) goes on the hands and not in the armpits.
2. Keep your elbows into your sides to help stabilize the crutches under your arms.
3. Don’t walk with your crutches in too close to your feet, you may
trip on them. Your crutches should be placed two to three inches out to the side
of your feet.
4. Do not sit down with your crutches under your arms.
Rather, take them out and place both of them on your good side, hanging on to
the hand grips, while your other arm takes hold of the arm rest or edge of the
chair to sit down.
5. When in the process of sitting down, make sure the
backs of your legs touch the chair before sitting or you may land on the floor.
It is easier to get in and out of chairs with arm rests.
6. When getting
up from the sitting position, both crutches should be on your unaffected side
with the other hand on the edge of the chair or arm rest to aid pushing yourself
up. Slide forward in your chair as far as possible. With the stronger, uninjured
leg back farther than the injured leg, lean forward and push off with your
arm.
7. The toilet seat at home is probably lower than the toilet seat at
the hospital, so hold both crutches on one side with the handgrips. Hang on to
the sink or toilet seat edge with the other hand when sitting or standing from
the toilet.
8. Whenever possible, use the railing when stair climbing
with crutches. A riddle to remember as to which foot leads with stair climbing
is “Up with the good and down with the bad”.
Going up stairs: Keep
injured leg behind, if possible. Step up with uninjured leg, and then bring the
crutches up.
Going down stairs: Hold injured leg in front, move crutches
down first, and then the uninjured leg.
9. When crutch walking on
carpet, you must pick up your crutches and injured leg higher than if you were
walking on tile or linoleum floors. It is a good idea to remove all throw rugs
on tile or linoleum floors.
10. When getting into a car, remember to move
to the side when opening the door. Facing away from the car, back up until you
feel the edge of the car against the back of your legs. Take the crutches in one
hand holding the arm grips and place the other hand on the back of the seat for
support. Sit down first and then bring your feet in – one at a time.
11. If you want to elevate your injured leg, just cross one or both crutches under
the leg with the tops of the crutches resting on the thigh of the uninjured leg.
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