How to Make Walking on Crutches More Comfortable

If you break a leg or part of a foot, you'll wind up on crutches if you want to stay mobile. After surgery, crutches can let you continue your life as usual with minimal discomfort. Unfortunately, that "minimal discomfort" is still quite uncomfortable. If you do nothing to make walking on crutches easier, you could find yourself with sore armpits, sore hands and an overall achy body. And over time, bruises and abrasions can form on your frequently chafed skin.

Things You'll Need

• Crutch covers -- foam or gel
• Crutch pads -- foam or gel

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Instructions

• 1

  Slip on crutch covers. The typical crutch has a rubber handle at the top that you place under your armpit. Add a foam or gel crutch cover to reduce the friction that frequent movement with the crutch causes. You will find crutch covers both for forearm crutches and underarm crutches.

• 2

  Put a foam or gel crutch pad on the hand bars, where you rest your hands as you move.

• 3

  Cradle the underarm crutches tightly against your chest. Although your instinctive reaction to avoid chaffing may be to let the the crutches fall loosely to your sides, that poses a danger.

• 4

  Keep the bottoms of the crutches 2 to 3 inches to your sides. The crutches, tight against your chest at the top, will be in a diagonal line from your underarms to the floor.

• 5

  Look in front of you as you walk. Fight the temptation to look down and watch your step. This will cause you to adjust your grip on the crutches unintentionally. If you do not hold your crutches properly, you will increase the likelihood of uncomfortable chafing.