How to Stand on Crutches

Crutches allow you to move around while you're nursing an injured leg or foot. You may not always want to walk, though, while using your crutches; sometimes you will want to stand in one spot for an extended period of time. You can quite easily do that with crutches if you have adjusted them to the correct height and if you know how to position them to support your body steadily while you stand.

Instructions

• 1

  Adjust your crutches to properly fit your height. While standing, relax your arms and let your shoulders drop. The crutch pad should rest between 1/2 inch and 2 inches below your armpits.

• 2

  Move the hand grip on each crutch so that the crutches comfortably fit your arm length. The hand grips should be close enough to your armpits so that you can fully support yourself without the crutch pads touching your armpits but not so close that you feel like your hands are in your armpits.

• 3

  Stand up by placing the crutch tips on the floor and pulling yourself up with your arms. Keep pressure off of your injured foot or leg. Push upward with your healthy leg while you pull yourself up.

• 4

  Place the crutch tips 4 to 6 inches to the side of each foot and a few inches in front of your feet. Put pressure on your healthy foot and lean into the crutches. This is called the tripod stance. Keep the weight off of your injured leg by raising it off the ground or resting it on something, such as a stool.