Crutches
Standard crutches are usually used as temporary walking aids by people who are recovering from an injury, surgery or are in rehabilitation or therapy. They are often used by people who have a leg injury to help them get around on their feet.
Crutches are basically stick- like walking aids that help you to support your weight, by keeping pressure off of your injured leg. You use crutches by placing the tops under your armpits and by holding onto the handles; which are located about half way down the crutches. You then transfer your body weight through your arms onto the handles of the crutches. Your arms should be straight when using crutches. This enables you to take the weight off of your injured leg and use the crutches as a substitute leg. Make sure that you don't just lean on the crutches under your armpit. You have to use your arms to support yourself.
Many people get blisters or sore hands from the handles of crutches. If your crutches don't have padded handle grips it's a good idea to pad them with foam and tape over the padding. You may also want to pad the top of the crutches, where they sit under your armpits.
Crutches are generally made of wood or aluminum and are lightweight, but very sturdy and steady if used properly. The ends of the crutches need to be covered by rubber tips to stop you from sliding on the floor or ground. Most crutches are also adjustable so you can set the height to fit your body size. Make sure they are not set too high or too low.
Crutches can be very tiring to use and hard maneuver so don't use them unless it's necessary. Crutches are really only suitable for people who can still use one leg, or at least put some weight on one leg. If both of your legs are disabled or you are unsure if you should be using crutches, consult your doctor or therapist. It's possible you should be using a wheelchair or rolling walker instead. Most crutches are made to handle a specific weight capacity so it's important that your crutches can support your body weight.
