If you have ever been on crutches for longer than three days, you have likely experienced low back pain.
Fitting crutches properly from day one is crucial. This is one of those times where our pride needs to be set aside. Have you ever been asked such a simple easy question like, "do you know how to use your crutches?" Like of course I do, who doesn't know how to use crutches!? All of sudden, three days later, you can’t walk, sit, lay, or stand because of course we knew how to use crutches!
When thinking about how our crutches should be set up, they often error on the side of being too short, rarely too long. If our crutches are too short, we start leaning left and right in order to stay in between the crutches. The reason crutches are often too short is because it is easier. You have much more control and margin of error if you don't crutch correctly.
Most often, crutches will come with little stickers on the inside that give you a range of different heights that should be an appropriate setting to utilize. The issue is, we all have different arm lengths.
- We want to stand upright, nice and tall WITH SHOES ON. The crutch should sit 1-2 inches below the armpit.
- The hand grips should be placed at about your wrist while you're standing nice and tall, arms hanging at your side.
- Your elbows should be slightly bent, roughly 30 degrees.
I hope you found this useful!
