If you ever break a bone in your leg or foot, have a surgical procedure on your lower limb, or suffer a stroke, you may need to use crutches, a cane, or a walker.
In the beginning, everything you do may seem difficult. But, with a few tips and some practice, you will gain confidence and learn to use your walking aid safely.
- Remove scatter rugs, electrical cords, spills, and anything else that may cause you to fall.
- In the bathroom, use nonslip bath mats, grab bars, a raised toilet seat, and a shower tub seat.
- Simplify your household to keep the items you need handy and everything else out of the way.
- Use a backpack, fanny pack, apron, or briefcase to help you carry things around.
If an injury or surgical procedure requires you to keep your weight off your leg or foot, you may have to use crutches.
Proper Positioning
The top of your crutches should reach between 1 and 1.5 inches below your armpits while you stand up straight.
The handgrips of the crutches should be even with the top of your hip line.
Your elbows should bend a bit when you use the handgrips.
Hold the top of the crutches tightly to your sides, and use your hands to absorb the weight. Don't let the tops of the crutches press into your armpits.
Walking
Lean forward slightly and put your crutches about one foot ahead of you. Begin your step as if you were going to use the injured foot or leg, but shift your weight to the crutches instead of the injured foot. Your body swings forward between the crutches. Finish the step normally with your non-injured leg. When the non-injured leg is on the ground, move your crutches ahead in preparation for the next step. Keep focused on where you are walking, not on your feet.
Sitting
Back up to a sturdy chair. Put your injured foot in front of you and both crutches in one hand. Use the other hand to feel for the seat of your chair. Slowly lower yourself into it. Lean your crutches upside down in a handy location. (Crutches tend to fall over when they are stood on their tips.) To stand up, inch yourself to the front of the chair. Hold both crutches in the hand on your good leg side. Push yourself up and stand on the good leg.
Stairs
To walk up and down stairs with crutches, you need to be both strong and flexible. Facing the stairway, hold the handrail with one hand and tuck both crutches under your armpit on the other side. When you're going up, lead with your good foot, keeping the injured foot raised behind you. When you're going down, hold your injured foot up in front, and hop down each stair on your good foot. Take it one step at a time. You may want someone to help you, at least at first. If you're facing a stairway with no handrails, use the crutches under both arms and hop up or down each step on your good leg, using more strength. An easier way is to sit on the stairs and inch yourself up and down each step. Start by sitting on the lowest stair with your injured leg out in front. Hold both crutches flat against the stairs in your opposite hand. Scoot your bottom up to the next step, using your free hand and good leg for support. Face the same direction when you go down the stairs this way.
You may find it helpful to use a cane if you have a small problem with balance or instability, some weakness in your leg or trunk, an injury, or pain. If you are elderly, a single point cane may also help you to keep living independently.
Proper Positioning
The top of your cane should reach to the crease in your wrist when you stand up straight. Your elbow should bend a bit when you hold your cane. Hold the cane in the hand opposite the side that needs support.
Walking
When you walk, the cane and your injured leg swing and strike the ground at the same time. To start, position your cane about one small stride ahead and step off on your injured leg. Finish the step with your normal leg.
Stairs
To climb stairs, grasp the handrail (if possible) and step up on your good leg first, with your cane in the hand opposite the injured leg. Then step up on the injured leg. To come down stairs, put your cane on the step first, then your injured leg, and finally the good leg, which carries your body weight.
If you have had total knee or hip joint replacement surgery, or you have another significant problem, you may need more help with balance and walking than you can get with crutches or a cane. A pickup walker with four solid prongs on the bottom may give you the most stability. The walker lets you keep all or some of your weight off of your lower body as you take your steps. You use your arms to support some of the weight. The top of your walker should match the crease in your wrist when you stand up straight. Do not hurry when you use a walker. As your strength and endurance get better, you may gradually be able to carry more weight in your legs.
Walking
First, put your walker about one step ahead of you, making sure the legs of your walker are level to the ground. With both hands, grip the top of the walker for support and walk into it, stepping off on your injured leg. Touch the heel of this foot to the ground first, then flatten the foot and finally lift the toes off the ground as you complete your step with your good leg. Don't step all the way to the front bar of your walker. Take small steps when you turn.
Sitting
To sit, back up until your legs touch the chair. Reach back to feel the seat before you sit. To get up from a chair, push yourself up and grasp the walker's grips. Make sure the rubber tips on your walker's legs stay in good shape.
Stairs
Never try to climb stairs or use an escalator with your walker.http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00181
How to Walk on Crutches
Edited byEurofox77 and 15 others
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Edit Steps
- 1Position crutches for your correct height. You should have about a hand's width between your armpit and the top of the crutch when the crutches are in a normal position-in other words not squeezed to your sides or an unnecessary distance from your body.
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www.yumeimise.net - 2The hand piece should be about in line with your hips. You can reposition this piece by removing the wing nut and sliding the bolt out of the hole. Slide the hand bar to the appropriate location, insert the bolt, and fasten the nut.
- 3Place them with the top part under your armpit-not on it!
- 4Lean on the foot that isn't injured.
- 5Place crutches more than shoulder width in front of you so you can fit through them.
- 6Lean on the crutches and hop forward.
- 7When leaning: Don't lean on your armpits! It might seem easier but it will hurt and you will get a painful rash! Instead, lean on your hands and put your weight there. Use your armpits just to keep the crutches upright. You can put socks on the armpit area to help with the rash... or so its not as likely to come. Do not lean too much and often as this could result in an injury.
- 8Adjust the crutches so that when standing upright with your hands at your sides the handles sit just under your palms and the arm guards are about 1 inch/3 centimetres above your elbow.
- 9When walking you should be placing the crutch feet in line with your bad foot and about shoulder width apart. As your injury begins to heal you will feel more comfortable taking larger steps but the crutches should never be much further forwards than your bad foot's toes, otherwise you're just asking for a fall and making your injury worse.
- 10Try and avoid gripping the handles too tightly. Doing so will cause cramp in your fingers and increase numbness in your hands. To avoid it try to keep your fingers cupped so the crutches 'drop' into your fingers when leaving the ground. This will relieve pressure on your palms and let you walk farther with much less discomfort.
- 11Stairs can be a pain. The trick is not to use your arms but your good leg. Stand facing the stairs and, whichever side the bannister/railing is on, put that crutch in the other hand. You should now have one hand free and one hand with a crutch to take weight and another crutch doing nothing.
- 12Lift your good leg up to the first step and use that leg to move the rest of your body up. Now repeat that until you get to the top of the stairs. Your arms should not be lifting you up, merely supporting you while your good leg moves up. Likewise for coming down stairs, you should put your bad leg and crutch on the step down, then use your good leg to move your bodyweight down.
- 13If you get confused about which way round it goes the good leg is always the highest on the stairs and it always takes the strain of moving body weight.
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Edit Tips
- Lock your arms so that you hold your weight with your bones, not your muscles. It is less tiring that way.
- Smaller steps will make you less tired but you will go slower.
- Consider alternatives to crutches. If your injury is below the knee, you may have a much easier choice. Do a search on "knee scooter" or "orthopedic scooter" see the external links. These devices work like a scooter with a padded place to rest the knee of the injured leg, so that you can push off scooter-style with the good leg. They won't work for all leg injuries, but if you think one might be appropriate for you, talk to your doctor and inquire at medical rental places.
- When sitting, place crutches on the arm pads and not the tips. Crutches are likely to fall over when placed on tips, and this can be quite a distraction if you are sitting in a classroom
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Edit Warnings
- If you go too fast, you could fall and hurt yourself
- Take very small steps in slippery or greasy areas (fast-food joints) as your crutches can slide out from under you.
http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-on-Crutches
How to walk with a cane
Edit Steps
Canes
- 1Assess how much help you need. Canes are the lightest walking aid, and transfer weight to your wrist or forearm. They are generally used to aid light injuries or to improve balance. A cane cannot and should not sustain a large portion of your body weight.
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www.buscopan.com - 2Choose your style. Canes come in a variety of forms in order to meet the needs of different users. Variables to assess include:
- Grip. Some canes are meant to be held with your palm and fingers, while others can also provide support for your forearm. Whatever you select, make sure the grip feels solid and manageable, not slippery or too big.
- Shaft. The shaft is the long part of the cane, and can be composed of wood, metal, carbon fiber polymer and other materials. Some shafts are collapsible for easy portability.
- Ferrule. The tip or bottom of the cane is usually covered in rubber to provide better stability. Some canes have three or four ferrules at the bottom instead of just one; this enables them to carry more weight.
- 3Check the length. To select the proper length for a cane, stand up straight with your shoes on and arms at your sides. The top of the cane should reach the crease on the under side of your wrist.If the cane is a proper fit, your elbow will be flexed 15-20 degrees when you hold the cane while standing. Cane length is usually about one half the cane user's height, in inches, wearing shoes.
- 4Choose a side. If you're using a cane because you're injured, you'll want the cane to be in the hand that is opposite the side of the injury - for example, if your left leg is hurt, put the cane in your right hand. If you're using a cane for better balance, consider putting it in your non-dominant hand so that you can continue to use your dominant hand for everyday tasks.
- 5Start walking. When you step forward on your bad leg, move the cane forward at the same time and put your weight on them together, allowing the cane to absorb more strain than the leg. Don't use the cane to step with your good leg. As you become accustomed to the cane, it will ideally feel like a natural extension of yourself.
- To walk up stairs with a cane, put your hand on the bannister (if available) and place your cane in the other hand. Take the first step with your strong leg, then bring the injured leg up to the same step. Repeat.
- To walk downstairs with a cane, put your hand on the bannister (if available) and place your cane in the other hand. Take the first step with the injured leg and the cane at the same time, then bring down your strong leg. Repeat.
Crutches
- 1Assess how much help you need. If you cannot put any weight on an injury, such as if you're recovering from knee or foot surgery, then you'll need one or two crutches (preferably two for improved balance). They'll sustain weight better than canes will, and allow you to get around with only one leg.
- 2Get the height right. Most crutches are forearm or underarm crutches. After you've been told by a doctor to use one or the other, the only thing you need to worry about is the fit. For underarm crutches, the top should be an inch or a little more below your armpit and the grips should be even with your hips.
- 3Start walking. Place both crutches on the ground about a foot in front of you, and lean forward slightly. Move as if you're going to step with your injured side, then shift the weight to the crutches and swing forward between them. Come down on your uninjured leg.
- To sit down or stand up, put both crutches together in the hand on your good leg side, like a long and extra sturdy cane. Slowly lower yourself down or up, using the crutches for balance.
- To go up or down stairs with crutches, start by putting both crutches under one arm, parallel to the floor. Then, you can either hop up or down the stairs on your one good leg, using a bannister for assistance. Alternatively, you can lay your crutches down on steps, sit down, and pull them along with you as you use your good leg to sit on the next step.
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Edit Tips
- Try to look straight ahead and not down at your walking aid. This will help you keep your balance.
- Discuss your options with a doctor, so you know which type of support will be best.
- A trolley is an effective way to carry items around the house, and give you support.
- Always take your cane or crutches with you.
- The rubber stoppers on the bottoms of canes and crutches will need to be replaced periodically. Stoppers are available at most drug stores.
- With a written prescription from your doctor, most health insurance plans will cover the cost of a cane.
- If you're suffering from a chronic injury too severe for a cane to support, you might start looking into walkers.
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Edit Warnings
- Check grips and stoppers often.
- Make sure your floor is free of clutter to prevent falling.
- Be particularly careful around children and small animals. They can move quickly and be hard to see.
http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-and-Use-a-Cane-Correctly
How to Walk With a Standard Walker
How To Walk With a Standard Walker
Stand inside the walker and make sure all four feet of the walker are on the floor.
After injury, surgery or illness, your ability to walk safely may be limited. Sometimes strength or balance may be impaired. A standard walker may be the right device to help you walk safely.
When using a walker for the first time, you should consult your physician and physical therapist to ensure that you are using the correct device for your condition and that you are using the walker properly. Remember to be cautious if you are not allowed to put full weight on your leg because of injury or surgery.
Lift and advance the walker forward.
The normal pattern of walking with a standard walker can be broken down into simple steps.First, the walker is lifted and moved forward about an arm’s length. Be sure that all four legs contact the floor at the same time to avoid tipping the walker.
Advance one foot to the inside of the walker.
Next, one foot steps towards the walker. Do not step too close to the front of the walker and be sure to keep your body in the center of the walker.
Then, the other foot is advanced past the first foot. Be sure you are standing in the center of the walker and that the walker does not tip over.
Repeat the cycle to continue walking forward.
It is important not to step too close to the front crossbar of the walker to avoid falling. Your body should remain in the central part of the walker. Also, be sure that all four feet of the walker contact the floor at the same time to avoid tipping the walker over.
By working closely with your doctor and physical therapist, you can use the correct walker properly to ensure safe and independent walking.
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/Physical-Therapy-For-Seniors/ss/How-To-Walk-With-A-Standard-Walker.htmHow to Walk With a Wheeled Walker
For the elderly or injured, the wheeled walker serves as a handy piece of equipment to get around. If your grandparent or an injured friend just bought a wheeled walker, you can help in the training process. Or if you are the injured one, you must learn how to use the wheeled walker. This also can serve as good practice should you want to assist someone in the future.
Instructions
-
- 1
Stand straight and position yourself in the middle of your wheeled walker. Place your hands on the side grips of the wheeled walker for support.
- 2
Grasp the grips firmly with your hands while you push the walker in a forward direction. Do this slowly at first until you are able to push it at arm's length.
- 3
Check that the back legs of your wheeled walker are even with your toes.
- 4
Step your weaker foot or leg forward and into the middle part of your wheeled walker, while using your hands as support. Your hands must have a firm grip on the walker to achieve stable support.
- 5
Step forward using your stronger leg, and keep the weight off your injured leg. Allow your arms to support most of the weight while you shift your legs to move the wheeled walker.
Repeat Steps 2 through 5 in order to walk with your wheeled walker, moving from your injured or weaker leg to your stronger leg.
- 1
Tips & Warnings
Do not push your wheeled walker too far in front of you. Make sure your back legs remain even with your toes. Refrain from leaning forward or over your walker, and maintain a good posture while walking.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7440692_walk-wheeled-walker.html
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