How to Properly Fit Crutches to your Height

There are many people suffering injuries each day and result in being on crutches, most likely for the first time. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, there are 6.5 million people using durable medical equipment (DME), such as canes, walkers, or crutches to assist with their mobility. Before reading further on how to properly fit your crutches, it is recommended to consult with your doctor or therapist to offer proper guidance with adjusting and using any type of medical equipment, including underarm crutches. 

For those who are using crutches for the first time, fitting them can seem counterintuitive. In order to give your injury the best chance to recover and increase your mobility, it's important to do it correctly. The following are simple steps to make sure the adjustable standard adult crutches are fitted to your height. 

First, make sure you put on a pair of comfortable shoes that are ones you use regularly. Your shoes should be flat and offer good support. 

Second, relax your arms and let them hang down over your crutches. Lining up the crease of your wrist when your arm is draped over the crutch is the proper way to begin measuring the crutches to your height. If your wrist does not line up to the hand grip part of the crutch, simply adjust the height with the push button at the bottom of your crutch. You can also adjust the hand grip piece by unscrewing the wingnut and reposition the grip by using the other spots along the shaft of the crutch

Finally, make sure there is 2-4 inches between your armpit and the crutch pad. Many people usually skips this part resulting in unnecessary pain and rashes from the consistent crutch use. Crutches are designed to get support from the arms and ribcage, not from the shoulders.The distance should provide plenty of space between yourself and the underarm crutch pad. It would offer room to add a padded cover for additional support and comfort. The top rated pads in the market today could be found by clicking here and checking out Crutcheze options in different styles and designs for foam padded crutch covers and hand grip sets. 

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DIY Designer Leopard Crutches - Comfortable & Stylish

Heal in style AND comfort with this DIY Leopard Crutch Outfit by Kara
 

The financial and emotional commitment not to mention the lack of comfort that comes with being on crutches can be, well, difficult, to put it lightly, especially for style minded individuals on a budget. Happily we received this idea from a wonderfully talented Crutcheze customer, Kara, that decided to give her crutches a DIY stylish, comfy makeover for around $25.
 

Get inspired by Kara's designer leopard crutches and you too can have this great look! Kara created these designer crutches by applying Leopard Duck Tape to standard aluminum crutches and outfitting the standard pads with Crutcheze Hot Pink Padded Crutch Covers. The result is this stunning, stylish look that is sure to turn heads no matter where she goes.
 

You, too, can have this great look. The makeover cost is around $25 + DIY time. Designer Duck Tape comes in many different patterns and colors, and can be found in various stores, such as office supply, hardware, grocery, discount retailers and more for $4-5. Crutcheze Hot Pink Padded Crutch Covers can be purchased at Crutcheze Clearance Outlet for only $19.99.
     

Read on for Kara's inspiring story and create your own DIY stylish look on your crutches today!
 

"Somehow I made it to adulthood without ever breaking a bone! Ironically, I work in the Emergency Room where part of my job is to teach patients how to use crutches. I give them a quick demo, wish them well and they are on their way. After unexpectedly breaking my fibula and having to rely on crutches full-time to get around, I quickly learned that they are not as easy as I made it look in those demonstrations! Wow, they can be really uncomfortable, especially under the arms and hands, add to that their boring "brushed aluminum" finish and they are really no fun at all! So, with a lot of new found time on my hands, I decorated them and scoured the Internet in search of "crutch pads." I came across your site, read the testimonials and ordered a set in hot pink to compliment their new leopard print (duck tape) design. I could not be happier!! Not only do they look awesome, they feel great, such a relief to my aching arms and hands! I am now recovering in style AND comfort! I will recommend Crutcheze to all my future crutch bound patients. Thank you for a incredible product, super fast shipping and great customer service!!" --Kara
 

Special thanks to Kara for sharing her stylish crutches and DIY decoration tips.  Connect with Kara by email karamedic@gmail.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/karamedic.

 

Do you have a DIY story to tell about your crutches? If so, contact us and we will share your designs with Crutcheze followers so they too can have some fun and heal in style and comfort!