OP
OP
annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
- Location
- Blyth, Northumberland
I
I was horrified to see I'd been out for about an hour!!
I walked a mile!
- Thread starter annedonnelly
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
Just take it steady Tiger. It is awful when you re-injure an injury and it sets you back. But lets hope the weather warms up soon so you can enjoy your recouperation.
Walking on crutches is considerably more difficult than without. I genuinely never realised how much effort it takes until I had to do it myself.
I came back soaked in sweat after all my early efforts at going for a walk.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
Good to hear you're on the road to recovery Anne! 
midlife
Guru
Hospital consultant colleague jumped off a train awkwardly and did left tib and fib spiral fracture. She was given armpit type crutches and ended up with nerve issues from compression of the axilla.
KnittyNorah
Über Member
- Location
- The Frozen North (of England)
Not seen armpit crutches for - literally - years before I retired.
midlife
Guru
Been sitting having coffee in our hospital foyer for the last 20 years and still see people wandering to and from the orthopods on armpit crutches. I guess it's for completely non-weight bearing situations.
vickster
Legendary Member
I used elbow crutches when nwb after ankle surgery.
So maybe they’re favoured by your hospital for some reason?!
KnittyNorah
Über Member
- Location
- The Frozen North (of England)
Interesting.
As far as weightbearing goes, I understand that - probably up to a generation or two ago - forearm crutches were not (initially) designed to take one's full body weight. However, forearm crutches capable of taking full body weight have been manufactured for decades now.
I find it intriguing that the only country which still favours the armpit/axillary crutch over the forearm/elbow type is the US - everywhere else in the developed world, the forearm crutch is generally preferred, for a range of reasons.
The only real advantage of the axillary crutch over the forearm crutch would seem to be that an axillary crutch requires less upper body strength than a forearm crutch; on all other counts - correct posture, correct gait, energy expenditure, safety and ease of use on stairs, physical bulk, side-effects of incorrect usage (almost inevitable with axillary crutches) and probably other things too - the forearm/elbow crutch wins out.
Obviously if a patient has arm/elbow/hand issues/injuries, more thought will be needed, and personal preference/previous experience of the patient will also play a part.
Fat Lars
Well-Known Member
I must be missing something. I had 3 x knee operations in the early 70's and was issued with underarm crutches. I never walked with them with the body resting by the armpit. You couldn't. It was done with the arms straight. The underarm bit was for when you stopped and wanted a rest. I made the mistake of walking a long distance with them and devloped horrendous blisters on my hands.
KnittyNorah
Über Member
- Location
- The Frozen North (of England)
Yes, they were still widely used in the 1970s; I had them for a short time after a knee injury in 1972. You clearly had yours correctly fitted, were taught how to use them correctly, and did so.
However even with otherwise-correct use and using the padded armpit bits for resting only could, did - and still does - result in nerve damage for many people.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Well done! 
As long as you don't take advice from The Proclaimers, you'll be fine...
As long as you don't take advice from The Proclaimers, you'll be fine...
