How to Walk With Crutches: Gait, Turns, and Curbs

To walk with underarm crutches: move both crutches a short step forward, press down through your hands, and swing your body to land your good foot near the tips. Keep the weight on the grips and the steps short. This is general guidance, not medical advice, so follow the instructions from your doctor or physical therapist.

Swing-to vs swing-through

There are two common patterns for a leg you are keeping weight off of:

• Swing-to: move both crutches ahead, then swing your good leg so it lands just behind the crutch tips. Slower, steadier, and the usual starting point.
• Swing-through: swing your good leg so it lands just past the tips. You cover more ground per step, but it takes more upper-body strength and balance.

Both rely on the same core move: weight on your hands, not your armpits, with a small gap between the pads and your rib cage. If that idea is new, the full how to use crutches guide covers the setup fundamentals.

Three-point gait (partial weight-bearing)

The swing gaits above are for non-weight-bearing recovery, where no load goes through the injured leg. Three-point gait is a different pattern used when a clinician has cleared partial weight-bearing.

In three-point gait: move both crutches and your injured foot one step forward together, treating them as a single unit. Then step through with your good foot. The injured leg makes contact with the floor but carries only the amount of load your clinician has specified.

The weight allowance often changes as recovery progresses, so this gait requires clear and current guidance from your care team. If you are unsure which gait pattern your recovery calls for, ask your physical therapist before changing your approach. Three-point gait is not a substitute for the non-weight-bearing swing gaits when full non-weight-bearing is still required.

Surfaces, pace, and managing energy

Take small, even steps and pause between them to settle your balance. Long strides and a fast pace are where slips happen. Look ahead at where you are going rather than down at your feet, the same way you would walking normally. Smooth beats quick.

Tile and wet floors. Tile floors are among the more common surfaces for crutch slips, especially when wet. Slow down by an extra margin, shorten your steps further, and plant each tip deliberately before shifting weight. If a floor is visibly wet, take the long way around when you can.

Outdoor and uneven terrain. Before crossing grass, gravel, or any path with cracks or roots, scan a few steps ahead. Look for rocks, gaps in pavement, and uneven edges. Short steps give you more opportunity to correct your position if a tip lands at an unexpected angle. When the ground feels too rough to navigate safely, wait for assistance or find a smoother route.

Managing energy. Crutch walking uses significantly more energy than normal walking, particularly in the first few days. Build up distance gradually, rest often, and keep sessions short until the movement becomes familiar.

Turning and changing direction

Do not pivot in place. To turn, take several small steps to walk yourself around in a gentle arc, leading with your good leg and letting the crutches follow. Give yourself more room than you think you need, especially in tight spaces like doorways and bathrooms.

Curbs and steps

A simple rule helps here: the good leg goes up first, and the crutches go down first.

• Going up a curb: step up with your good leg, then lift the crutches and your injured leg up to meet it.
• Going down: lower the crutches to the lower level first, then step down with your injured leg, then your good leg.

Use a handrail whenever one is available, holding it with one hand and both crutches in the other. For anything beyond a single curb, the full stair technique guide covers handrail and no-handrail methods step by step.

Forearm crutch technique: what changes

Forearm crutches use a cuff that wraps around the lower forearm rather than an underarm pad. The cuff keeps the crutch attached to your arm through the stride, so your hand does not have to maintain a tight grip to stay in contact.

The swing range is narrower than with underarm crutches. You move the crutch forward from the elbow rather than the shoulder, producing a shorter, more controlled arc. On stairs and at curbs, you release the cuff to grip a handrail, then re-engage it once past the step; the cuff design makes this quick once practiced.

The core move is the same as underarm technique: weight through the grip, tips planted before shifting load. The grip height, cuff position, and swing mechanics differ. For the full forearm technique walkthrough, see how to walk with forearm crutches.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaning on the underarm pads. This is the big one. Press through the grips so your weight stays in your hands.
• Steps that are too long. Overreaching with the crutches puts the tips too far ahead and pulls you off balance.
• Rushing. Fatigue and slick floors are when falls happen, so slow down on tile, wet ground, and stairs.
• Worn rubber tips. Smooth, cracked tips lose grip. Replace them when the tread wears down.

Comfort makes the miles easier

Padding thickness and grip design determine how long a session stays comfortable. The Vive Health crutches use thicker grip cushioning that spreads contact across more of the hand; the Drive Medical aluminum crutches are a solid all-around pick. Not sure which fits your situation? The quiz takes about two minutes, or compare picks in the best underarm crutches roundup.