Crutches are medical assisting devices which are designed to help people with a leg injury that may need assistance when walking. Crutches are designed to be used by individuals who have an injury or other disability on only one leg. If both legs are injured, then other walking assistant devices should be used or prescribed. This is because crutches are designed to take the pressure off only one leg or foot and arevery difficult and potentially dangerous to use if two legs or feet are injured.
Most crutches are made using one of two basic designs. The first design consists of an H-shaped frame, and the second design consists of an F shaped frame. F shaped crutches are usually prescribed to individuals who may need more assistance standing up, as the “F” shape of the rod fits easily in the underarms. Regardless of their frame shape, crutches are made out of a variety of different materials, such as aluminum, wood, or other hard materials. The type of material used in crutches may depend on the individual they are being prescribed for, as well as their personal budget or how much their insurance is willing to cover. Generally, real wooden crutches are more expensive than aluminum crutches or crutches made from a mixture of aluminum and another material.
Crutches can be prescribed for a number of different reasons. When someone injures one of their legs in an accident—such as twisting an ankle or hurting their knee—crutches can help them get around quickly while relieving their injury from pressure until it is properly healed. Crutches are commonly prescribed to patients who have undergone a leg surgery on one leg, because they allow the patient to be much more mobile than walkers or wheelchairs. They are often used during physical therapy sessions for patients recovering from surgery, both before they leave the hospital and, if necessary, at additional therapy sessions afterward.
Crutches may also be used by people with a disability in one leg, although typically canes are suggested in circumstances when the leg injury is not temporary. However, some people with disabilities may find that crutches allow them to be more stable than the typical cane, and for this reason choose to use medical crutches instead. Crutches can allow people with pain in one particular leg—or more pain in one particular leg—to easily move around without putting pressure on that leg, essentially “hopping” from place to place using the crutches. By contrast, canes require putting some pressure on both legs, regardless of a disability or injury.
Crutches are a common medical device which is meant to assist people with a leg injury on a single leg in walking. They are commonly prescribed after surgery but they can also be used by people with leg disabilities who may have difficulty using canes, walkers or other typical walking devices. Crutches come in several styles and can be made out of a variety of material, such as aluminum, steel, and wood.