During injury moments how to use crutches is a deep concern. We know, life demands continuous mobility around its entire surrounding circumstances. So, anybody may receive an injury. Then relevant patient can’t walk or climb stairs without a crutch. As struggling on this moments, crutches have been using from the ancient times.
This is an essential tool for handicapped persons due to lacking muscle power in the leg. From muscle strain to broken legs, crutches are used for. But methods using of different crutches is an important context. However, with varied mobility of body there are also differences in the use of crutches.
How to use crutches while walking
It’s simple while walking by a crutch without bearing body weight. But walking by a crutch bearing body weight is not an easy task. Look at next discussion points.
How to walk without bearing body weight?
We recommend walking with crutches without bearing body weight here.
- Set both crutches underneath of each arm. Hold crutch handles.
- Don’t transfer weight of body to crutches.
- Get standing on your intact leg. Bent your injured leg keeping slightly above the walking surface.
- Make an effort for stepping forward a few meters ahead.
- Move forward your injured leg.
- Put your weight on your hands. Walk forward with your fresh leg. While your intact leg touching walking surface, take forward your crutch for making next step.
How to walk bearing weight?
Attention here for walking by putting weight of your body.
- Grip up handle of crutches by placing it under both arms.
- Stand on ground by transferring weight of the body. During doing this, keep your both legs between spaces of crutches.
- Try to walk carefully by advancing both crutches. Softly place your feet on walking surface.
- Perform normal stepping with uninjured leg. Go forward with crutches to next steps.
Using crutches while climbing stairs?
Climbing stairs by using crutches with support of a handrail or without a handrail is very challenging. But by applying some useful techniques you easily can do it.
Climbing with a handrail
- Grip handrail with one hand. Hold crutches under your other arm.
- Get stand on bottom of the stairwell by transferring weight to your intact leg. Try to uplift injured leg off the ground.
- By gripping handrail step forward with your fresh leg.
- Try to uplift your injured foot along with crutches during stepping forward.
- Get climb one step with every single effort.
- With same repeated process, step forward to next stairs.
Climbing without a handrail
- Put a crutch inside your both arms.
- Transfer your body weight to your both hands.
- With carrying crutches lift your injured leg at the same time during step forward.
- Step forward carefully with this repeated process.
Crutches are varies on types of injuries. For the reason, varied crutches are in use. These are used for either walking on a surface or climbing on stairs. Keep reading for getting forward with various crutches.
Types of Crutches Available in the Market
Underarm Crutches: These crutches are used by gripping handle and placing upper pad under the armpit. This crutch has a pad at top portion. A handle is set below up to rib cage. Pad and handle maintains parallel balance. To this pad towels or soft cushions are used for preventing armpit pains and injuries.
Forearm Crutches: Forearm crutches are also known as elbow crutches. This crutch is for one hand use. It withstands weight of upper portion of body. There has a flexible round shaped brace at the top. A gripper in the middle helps to balance of upper portion of the crutch. It supports walking or climbing receiving pressure of specific portion of the body.
Platform Crutches: This crutch is for the people with infirm hand grips. This is also for arthritis patients or who are suffering from cerebral palsy. Platform crutches consist of a brace and a gripper. Brace exists in between elbow and wrist. This is for single hand use. Forearm gets straight support whenever one hand grips the handle.
Leg Support Crutches: These crutches are for the people suffering with sprained limb or a broken lower part of a leg. Unlike traditional crutches these are effective for relevant patients. These crutches have to be tied to lower limb so that broken part gets support. This strong binding assists for mobility.
Elbow Crutches: Elbow crutches functions exactly like forearm crutches. The design may seem different in many versions. But their holding power is same.
How Can You Use a Crutch?
4 Point Gait Process: In this procedure, two crutches are used. The right crutch is placed at first. Then comes the left leg. After that the left crutch comes and then the right leg. The user walks in this process simultaneously.
3 Point Gait Process: This process is for those who can take weight with one leg but can’t with the other one. The crutches bear the weight of the affected leg and the unaffected leg is used to go forward
2 Point Gait Process: Those who can take partial weight with the both legs can walk in this way. The sequence should be right crutch and right leg. Then left crutch and left leg. Simultaneously following this should do the trick.
Swing to Gait Process: In this process the person walks with the help of swinging the crutches forward. The legs follow and meet the crutch position. This is for those with injuries that is non-weight bearing.
Stair Climbing Process: In order to climb stairs, a handicapped person should first place the affected leg. Then the crutches and unaffected leg should come. Again, when descending, crutches come first, then the affected leg and then comes the unaffected leg.
Conclusion
On injury moments, crutches are the assistive tool that brings courage and inspiration. For upraising living spirit how to use crutches is essential.
In this article I have discussed what types of crutches there are available and how you can use them regarding your injury. Just follow instructions and do your daily chores on your own. Be independent, not handicapped.
