Guides
Crutch guides
Browse by what you need: learn the technique, find picks for your situation, compare types, or sort out coverage. Each guide ends with our current top picks.
Getting started & how-to
Fit, walk, take stairs, and the technique that keeps you safe.
How to Use Underarm Crutches: A Beginner's Guide
How to use underarm crutches safely: keep your weight on the hand grips, not your armpits, with the basic gait, pad position, and sit-to-stand steps.
Read the guide →How to Fit and Size Underarm Crutches Correctly
How to fit underarm crutches: set the pad about 2 inches below your armpit and the grip at hip level with a 15-30 degree elbow bend. Sizing steps inside.
Read the guide →How to Walk With Crutches: Gait, Turns, and Curbs
How to walk with crutches: swing-to, swing-through, and three-point gaits, surfaces and pace, forearm crutch technique, turning safely, handling curbs, and common mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide →How to Stop Armpit Pain From Crutches
Armpit pain from crutches comes from leaning on the underarm pads. Adjust the height and push through your hands. 5 fixes that work.
Read the guide →How to Size and Adjust Forearm Crutches Correctly
Forearm crutches sized wrong cause pain and falls. Here's how to set the handle height and cuff position correctly, with a simple at-home method.
Read the guide →How to Replace Rubber Crutch Tips (5 Steps, 2 Minutes)
How to replace rubber crutch tips: why worn tips are a slip hazard, the standard 7/8 inch size, and how to pull the old tip off and push the new one on. Takes about 2 minutes.
Read the guide →How to Use Crutches on Stairs (Up, Down, With and Without a Handrail)
The complete technique for climbing and descending stairs on crutches: the rhyme that makes it stick, handrail and no-handrail methods, the sit-and-scoot fallback, safety tips, and when to ask a PT.
Read the guide →How to Walk With Forearm Crutches: Technique and Gait
A clear, step-by-step guide to walking with forearm crutches, weight-bearing gaits, posture, and the habits that keep you safe and comfortable.
Read the guide →How to Use Crutches: Complete Beginner's Guide (Fit, Walk, Stairs)
New to crutches? Here's how to fit them correctly, stand up, walk, sit down, and take stairs safely, plus how to avoid the sore hands and armpits that trip most people up.
Read the guide →Weight-Bearing Status Explained: NWB, Toe-Touch, Partial & Full
Your weight-bearing status is the rule for how much weight your surgeon allows on the injured leg. Here's what NWB, toe-touch (TTWB), partial (PWB), weight bearing as tolerated (WBAT), and full (FWB) each mean, in plain English.
Read the guide →Non-Weight-Bearing on Crutches: How to Get Around Safely
Non-weight-bearing means zero weight on the injured leg. Here's the gait that works, how to handle stairs and the house, and which crutches make weeks of NWB bearable.
Read the guide →How to Use One Crutch (Single-Crutch Walking)
Down to a single crutch? Here's which side to hold it on (it's the surprising one), the walking pattern, and how to take stairs with one crutch safely.
Read the guide →Crutch Gait Patterns Explained: Swing-Through, Three-Point, and More
What the crutch gait patterns actually mean: swing-through, swing-to, three-point, two-point, and four-point gaits explained in plain English, with which weight-bearing status each one suits.
Read the guide →By condition & situation
Picks and advice for your injury, body, or long-term need.
Crutches After Surgery: What to Use While You're Non-Weight-Bearing
If you're facing 6 weeks non-weight-bearing after foot or ankle surgery, here's how to pick crutches that won't wreck your hands, armpits, and shoulders.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Long-Term and Everyday Use
If you're on crutches every day, comfort and durability beat price. Here's what to look for in a daily-driver forearm crutch and which models hold up.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Elderly Parents and Seniors (2026): A Caregiver's Guide
Stability and grip comfort matter most for older adults. Here are the picks your parent can actually handle — and the one type most caregivers regret buying.
Read the guide →Crutches Built for Lower Hand, Wrist, and Arm Load
Why standard crutches concentrate load on hands and underarms, which design features distribute that load more effectively, and the forearm crutch picks that score highest on comfort for long-term users.
Read the guide →How to Size Crutches for Tall People: Height Guide for 5'10" to 6'6"
Standard adult crutches max out around 5'10". Here's how to measure correctly for tall frames, the size band that actually fits, and what to look for — plus picks for forearm and underarm tall adults.
Read the guide →Crutches for Kids (2026): Youth vs. Pediatric Sizing Guide
Crutches for kids ages 4–14: how to choose youth vs. pediatric sizes, why lighter weight matters, and how to set the fit correctly. Step-by-step parent's guide.
Read the guide →Best Bariatric Crutches (500 lb+): Heavy-Duty Guide for 2026
Standard aluminum crutches cap out at 250-350 lb. Here are the steel bariatric crutches rated 500 lb or more — how to choose the right one, size it correctly, and where to buy.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Multiple Sclerosis: Lightweight Forearm Picks
For MS and long-term daily crutch use, weight is the #1 spec — every extra gram per crutch compounds across thousands of steps a day. Scored picks, key criteria, and what to look for.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for EDS and Hypermobility
With Ehlers-Danlos and hypermobility, crutches need to protect fragile joints. Here's what to look for and which forearm crutches help most.
Read the guide →Crutches After ACL Surgery: What to Expect and What to Use
A practical look at crutch use after ACL reconstruction, how long you'll need them, what makes recovery easier, and which crutches to choose.
Read the guide →Crutches After a Broken Foot or Ankle: What to Use
A practical guide to getting through weeks of non-weight-bearing after a broken foot or ankle, and which crutches make it less miserable.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Arthritis (2026): Cushioned, Lightweight Picks
Arthritis shifts the selection criteria: forearm cuffs over palm grips, ergonomic handles, shock absorption, and lighter frames. Picks for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, key specs, and how to choose.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Tall People: Height, Reach, and Fit
If you're over 6 feet, many crutches top out too short. Here's how to check height range, why fit matters, and which forearm crutches go tall.
Read the guide →Buying & comparisons
Compare crutch types and find the right pair to buy.
Best Crutch Pads for Comfort (Underarm and Hand)
The best crutch pads for comfort are gel or memory-foam underarm covers plus padded hand grips. What to look for and the standard 7/8 inch size.
Read the guide →Knee Scooter vs. Forearm Crutches: Which Is Right for You?
Knee scooters and forearm crutches both keep weight off a healing foot or ankle. Here's how they compare on comfort, mobility, stairs, and cost.
Read the guide →Forearm vs. Underarm Crutches: Which Should You Use?
Forearm (Lofstrand) and underarm (axillary) crutches suit different needs. Here's how they compare on comfort, learning curve, and long-term use.
Read the guide →Wood vs Aluminum Crutches: Which Is Better?
Wood vs aluminum crutches compared by weight, adjustment, weight capacity, noise, and price. See why aluminum suits most people, and when wood wins.
Read the guide →Best Underarm Crutches: Ergonomic & Shock-Absorbing Picks (2026)
Ergonomic underarm crutches cost more but add real comfort on long recoveries. Top picks and when the upgrade is worth it.
Read the guide →Crutches vs. Cane: Which Is Right for You?
When a cane is enough, when you need crutches, and how to tell which fits your situation, stability, and recovery stage.
Read the guide →Crutch Alternatives: Hands-Free Devices, Knee Scooters, and More
Crutches aren't the only way to stay mobile while a leg heals. Compare knee scooters, hands-free crutches, canes, and walkers, and which fits your injury and weight-bearing status.
Read the guide →Coverage & cost
Pay with benefits or get crutches covered as DME.
VA, Medicare & HCPCS E0110: How Crutch Coverage Works
Crutches can be covered through the VA, Medicare, and Medicaid under HCPCS code E0110. Here's how reimbursement generally works and what to ask.
Read the guide →Are Crutches Generally FSA & HSA Eligible? (2026)
Crutches are often FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) eligible as durable medical equipment — here's how to confirm with your plan and pay with your benefits card.
Read the guide →Free guide
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