Crutches After Surgery: What to Use While You're Non-Weight-Bearing

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Six weeks non-weight-bearing is a long time on hardware designed for a quick hospital handoff. The standard underarm crutches most patients get sent home with are the most common reason for sore armpits, numb hands, and aching shoulders by week two. Here is how to choose and use crutches that hold up through the full recovery.

Forearm vs. underarm: which to use after surgery

For most post-surgery recoveries lasting longer than 1-2 weeks, forearm crutches outperform the standard hospital pair. Underarm (axillary) crutches put pressure directly against the axillary nerve and blood vessel bundle — lean on them wrong for weeks and you risk nerve irritation and numbness. Forearm crutches move the load to your forearms and hands, keep your posture more upright, and let you release your grip without the crutch falling.

There are situations where underarm crutches still make sense: very short recoveries (a week or less), patients who lack the grip or forearm strength for forearm models, or simply the preference of your surgeon or PT. The full comparison is in our forearm vs. underarm crutches guide.

The rule of thumb: if you will be non-weight-bearing for more than two weeks, it is worth buying a forearm pair before surgery rather than using what the hospital provides.

How to get fitted before you leave the hospital

Fit crutches before surgery, not after. Post-anesthesia is not the time to work through height adjustments and figure out what “wrist-crease height” means.

For forearm crutches: stand with your arm relaxed at your side. The handle should sit at wrist-crease height. The forearm cuff should be 1-2 inches below the elbow crease. The cuff should be snug without pinching. This puts load on the forearm across the stride rather than driving it down through the wrist.

For underarm crutches: the armpit pad should sit 2-3 finger-widths below the armpit — never resting your full weight against it. The crossbar handle should be at wrist-crease height with a slight bend in the elbow. The 2-3 finger clearance matters: eliminating it entirely is what causes radial nerve compression and the “crutch palsy” (wrist drop) that some long-term users develop.

The how to adjust crutches guide walks through the exact measurements for both types.

Stair technique for post-surgery recovery

Stairs during recovery follow a consistent pattern regardless of which leg or procedure:

Going up: the non-surgical leg leads up first, then the crutches and surgical leg rise to the same step. Never lead with the surgical leg going up.

Going down: crutches go first (plant them on the lower step), then the surgical leg, then the non-surgical leg follows down. The shorthand is “up with the good, down with the bad.”

Use a handrail whenever one is available — it significantly reduces the load on your arms and gives you a stable anchor. Practice this with a physical therapist before leaving the facility. Stairs at home with no one around are harder than they look after surgery.

For a full walkthrough of technique, see how to use crutches on stairs.

Managing 4-8 weeks non-weight-bearing

The NWB period is where most people underestimate the logistical difficulty. A few things that make it manageable:

Carrying items. Both hands are on crutches. A backpack or cross-body bag solves this — arrange it before surgery day. A crutch caddy (a small bag that clips to the frame) works if you prefer to keep items at arm’s reach.

Your living space. Move anything you will need in the first weeks to a single level if possible. Bathroom supplies, kitchen staples, phone charger — all of it. Navigating stairs repeatedly on crutches is tiring and increases fall risk.

Fatigue and upper body soreness. The first two days feel manageable. By week two, thousands of cumulative steps on standard grips create noticeable wrist and shoulder fatigue. Shock-absorbing models and ergonomic handle angles reduce per-step load. This is where the difference between hospital crutches and a recovery-focused forearm pair becomes most apparent.

When to call the doctor. Sudden increase in pain after the first few days, numbness or tingling beyond normal post-op sensation, or significant swelling after it had been improving — these warrant a call. Follow your surgeon’s specific post-op instructions for their red-flag list; this is general context, not a substitute.

Pain vs. healing. These are not the same signal during early recovery. Many post-surgical structures heal silently — pain reduction does not mean weight-bearing is safe. Follow the prescribed protocol, not how the leg feels.

For ACL-specific recovery, the crutches after ACL surgery guide covers week-by-week expectations for that procedure.

What matters most during recovery

When evaluating crutches for a multi-week post-surgery stretch, these are the specifications that actually affect daily comfort:

• Shock absorption. A spring-assist or shock-absorbing shaft reduces the jolt to your wrists and shoulders across thousands of daily steps. This matters most in weeks 2-4 when cumulative fatigue sets in.
• Articulating tips. A tip that stays flat on the ground through your full stride gives a more controlled plant than a fixed tip. This is particularly useful while navigating carefully during the early weight-bearing transition.
• Ergonomic grip angle. An angled handle spreads pressure across the palm rather than concentrating it at the wrist. Over a 6-week recovery, the difference is significant.
• Cuff security. A well-fitting forearm cuff keeps the crutch with you when you pause to open a door or shift position — you do not have to hold on constantly.
• Weight capacity. Verify the crutch weight rating against your own weight with a margin. Do not assume all crutches fit all body sizes.

Transitioning off crutches

Your surgeon or physical therapist sets the transition timeline — do not self-discharge from crutches based on pain level or how stable the leg feels. Common markers many protocols look for before clearing the transition: full weight-bearing without significant pain, a normalized gait pattern, and adequate muscle activation in the affected leg.

When you are cleared, wean gradually. A 3-5 day taper is typical: start on flat indoor surfaces with the crutches nearby for confidence, add outdoor surfaces next, then stairs. Many protocols go from two crutches to one crutch before none — a single crutch on the opposite side from the surgical leg still offloads the healing joint while restoring more normal movement.

Rushing this step puts asymmetric load through the joint before stability has returned. Your surgeon sets the timeline.

Our picks for recovery

From our best forearm crutches comparison, the recovery-focused models with shock absorption score highest for multi-week NWB recovery. The quiz matches you to the right option for your weight range, recovery length, and situation in about 60 seconds.

This is general information, not medical advice. Follow your surgeon’s weight-bearing instructions and ask your care team before changing equipment or weight-bearing status.