How to survive crutches

[itwasnevermine]

I'm fed up of them and it's been all six hours.

I've badly sprained my ankle and can't actually walk without them but my hands hurt, my upper body hurts, my other leg hurts. The hospital mentioned two weeks on them but I can't cope with that. What do I do?

Pad the handles with duvet offcuts. Make sure they are the correct length for your height. And sit down more than you use them.

I got sent home from hospital with them two different lengths 😩 I'll have a look for some off cuts or something for the handles, I'm definitely not planning on moving around much!

Well that was helpful of them!! I'd YouTube how to set the length in that case x

I've been on crutches for 4 years. It's not great!

Do you have under armpit ones or 'normal' ones?

Making sure they're the right height it definitely the main thing. Try not to lean forward on them, make sure you are standing up straight

They're normal ones, il remember about leaning forward, thank you!

Can you get a knee scooter? I was on wooden under the arm crutches for four weeks at school and the memory haunts me.

I was on crutches for 12 weeks in 2011 when I snapped my Achilles tendon. It does take time to get used to them. Pad out the handles to make it softer on your hands. Eventually I was a wiz on the wretched things and could race along no problem. Good luck OP, hope you heal quickly.

Amazon has crutch handle covers

I had the crutch handle covers from amazon when I had an op and needed them. Made it much less painful.

I would not bother with the crutch handle covers from Amazon as they never stay on in my experience.

I have been on crutches for 7 years and I find ski gloves better as they pad your hands.If your hands bother u a lot the hospital can give u the crutches for hand arthritis sufferers or you can get the other type of crutches off Amazon. If you are finding that the crutches are slipping on surfaces you can get better non slip ferrules off Amazon.

A phone bag for the phone helps so u can take it everywhere and also moving the furniture so u have furniture to lean on in the kitchen etc is also a help.

Be grateful that you are not on crutches in the ice - that is the worst!

https://www.diy.com/departments/polyethylene-foam-pipe-lagging-l-1m-dia-28mm/1906886_BQ.prd

Some of this around the hand bit.

To be honest I don't think I'll get covers because I'm planning on being off them by this weekend, there's no way I'm doing 2 weeks 😅

Gloves will help your hands.

Ime the crutch covers slide off.

I used some fingerless cycle / climbing gloves when I had crutches for 6 weeks. They were some old ones I had from Tiger and Go Ape. I'd forgotten how achy my hands were for a while to be honest. Hope your ankle heals smoothly. Don't muck around with recovery or you'll end up with a problem further down the line.

I'm in hospital following ankle surgery ( and will be sent home on crutches!) I had arthritis in both ankles. Drs asked me if I had sprained my ankles in the past .. and I had . They asked if I had rested up properly and I said no.. I'd just pulled on a tubular bandage, taken ibuprofen and carried on. They seem to think this could have been the cause of my problems... so I heartily recommend you use the crutches for as long as you can

I feel your pain, OP, as I’m also on them after surgery! I hate them and would recommend hiring a knee scooter as @boulevardofbrokendreamss says.

You really mustn’t put weight on your ankle too soon though or you’ll end up in a worse situation. I’ve got the underarm ones and agree that getting the right height is crucial. I also needed to practice getting the keg swing right, it’s harder than it looks.

I’m on mine for six weeks. 😭

I had to use them for 6 weeks when I shattered my ankle. I hated them at first but quickly got used to them and I had great shoulders after!

Had them 12 months ago following knee surgery and not a time period I wish to repeat.

Just knuckle down and get through it. Sit down and elevate your ankle as much as possible don't do too much too soon or you'll just prolong the issue!!

Bandage the handles and cover them with a sock thats secured with a hair bobble honesty. Your hands will hurt more than your injury

I meant "leg" swing rather than "keg" swing obviously. A keg would be much more appealing than a leg in a cast. 😂

If you need to stand up then stand on good leg, use a chair under your bad one so knee resting on the chair

Not worth it for 2 weeks but for anyone using crutches for 6 weeks or long-term, I highly recommend Cool Crutches.

https://www.coolcrutches.com/

They're expensive! BUT the handles are moulded for the hands which makes them a million times more comfortable than any others I've found.

Expect to pay over £100 for a pair of crutches but if you can find the funds (not easy I know for those with disabilities) then it's worth it. I'm much more stable and feel much safer on mine since I invested in a pair, simply because it doesn't hurt to put my weight through my shoulders and hands anymore.

Sometimes a pair comes up on fb marketplace but not often.

Buy yourself some crutches with better grips than NHS ones, mine only cost £40 & are much better, they have soft grips which don't dig in your hands.

Thanks for the tips everyone! I know I should do the 2 weeks the hospital said but my whole body is in pain, and it's a nightmare to get to and from work, not to mention I'm so embarrassed!!

@itwasnevermine it's surprisingly important you let it heal properly. I sprained my ankle badly a few times as a teen, guess which ankle means I'm on crutches now?
Sprains increase the risk of future injury, including breaks, and (I believe but could be wrong) the risk of arthritis

Don't rush it.