Crutches
Also called: walking aid, forearm crutches
What it means
Crutches are mobility aids that help you walk while keeping weight off an injured leg, hip, or foot so it can heal properly.
Using crutches correctly after a fracture protects healing bone and can help lower the chance of a fall that could cause another injury.
Crutches are a mobility device used to take weight off an injured leg, hip, or foot while it heals, or to help with balance after surgery. There are two main types: underarm crutches, which rest against the ribcage, and forearm (or elbow) crutches, which strap around the forearm with a handgrip. Both help redistribute load away from the healing area.
Your doctor or physical therapist will tell you how much weight you can put on the injured limb, called weight-bearing status, and will show you the right crutch height and walking pattern. Using crutches correctly protects healing bone and reduces the chance of a fall, which matters a lot if you already have low bone density.
Getting used to crutches takes practice, and many people feel unsteady at first. Working with a physical therapist on balance and gait, keeping walkways clear, and wearing supportive shoes can lower your fall risk while you recover. Crutches are usually temporary, and your care team will guide you on when you can return to normal walking.
Using crutches correctly protects a healing bone and helps prevent a fall that could cause another injury.
Where this leads
WordCrutches help you avoid putting weight on a healing bone. Curious how your doctor decides exactly how much weight is safe?
Related words
Weight-bearing status is a doctor's instruction on how much weight you can safely put on a healing bone or joint,…
Fall risk is how likely you are to fall, and it matters because falling—not just weak bones—is the most common cause…
A walker (or walking frame) is a hand-held support frame, sometimes with wheels (rollator), that helps people stand…
Rehabilitation after fracture is the structured process of healing and retraining the body after a broken bone,…
Balance training is practice that improves your stability and coordination so you're less likely to fall — and falls…
Fear of falling is ongoing worry or anxiety about losing your balance and falling, which can make people limit their…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
