Find the Right Crutches for Mobility and Comfort

Mobility limitations can come on suddenly, requiring loved ones to assist with the ordinary activities of life without warning. Crutches can become helpful when a person can bear some weight and needs to remain active, but cannot walk as they did before. It’s critical to the healing process to find the right crutches for each person, and then to size them correctly for maximum comfort to encourage correct use to prevent delays in healing.

Materials for Crutches

Though wooden crutches exist, modern crutches are generally made of aluminum. They are easy to clean, durable, and most importantly, light and mobile. For many models, the padding beneath the axilla (armpit) and around the hand grips are generally made of various forms of rubber and padding, meant to keep the weight of the body off any hard edges and prevent skin blistering with prolonged use. Check the replaceable rubber feet often, and replace them when they start to wear. Crutches may be necessary for weeks or months, sometimes longer, so heavy duty crutches should be made of materials able to last through rough weather and uneven terrain to make the most of mobility throughout the healing process.

Properly Sizing Your Crutches

The most important aspect of comfortable and correct long-term crutch use is sizing. Know whether you’ll need pediatric or adult sizes, or even tall sizes. It is important to note that small adults may require pediatric crutches. Ask about weight capacity. Manufacturers and sellers have this information available, and exceeding the weight limit of any medical equipment renders it unsafe. When the patient is standing upright, the axilla pad should stand about one to one and a half inches below the fold of the axilla, and the arms should be slightly bent. Modern designs are adjustable, and each model has a slightly different adjustment mechanism. Improper fit results in early fatigue, skin breakdown, and can slow healing when bearing weight inappropriately.

At Kansas City Home Medical Supply, helping you get the right crutches for yourself or your loved one is a priority. Contact us with your questions and issues, and let us guide you through the process of finding the best equipment to suit your needs.