Non-Weight-Bearing on Crutches: How to Get Around Safely

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“Non-weight-bearing” (NWB) means your surgeon wants zero weight on the injured foot or leg, not even resting it down for balance. It’s common after foot, ankle, and some knee surgeries, and it’s the hardest weight-bearing status to live with because your arms do all the work. Here’s how to manage it. For background on all the weight-bearing categories, see weight-bearing status explained.

The non-weight-bearing gait (swing-through)

The swing-through gait is the standard technique for NWB (per AAOS OrthoInfo). Walk through it slowly at first until the pattern becomes automatic.

Step 1 — Position the crutches. Advance both crutch tips about 12 inches ahead of you, placed hip-width apart for a stable base.

Step 2 — Load through your hands. Press firmly into the grip handles to transfer your weight through your arms. With forearm crutches, the load should move through your hands, not by leaning into the forearm cuffs.

Step 3 — Swing through. Let the injured leg float off the ground completely. Swing your body forward through the crutch tips, past them, not just up to them. Getting all the way through is what makes the gait efficient and keeps your center of gravity moving forward.

Step 4 — Land on the healthy foot. Land heel first and absorb the impact by bending the knee slightly. Avoid locking the knee on landing.

Step 5 — Reset. Bring both crutch tips forward to beside the healthy foot, then repeat.

Keep steps short and controlled. The injured leg stays off the ground completely. If you’re new to the motion, walk through the basics first in how to use crutches.

Stairs when you can’t touch down

This is where NWB gets risky. Going up: good leg first, then bring the crutches up. Going down: crutches down first, then hop the good leg down. Use a handrail and tuck both crutches under one arm if you can. Full method: how to use crutches on stairs.

Managing daily life while NWB

The gait is one problem. The rest of your day is another. These are the areas where most people struggle and where a little setup saves real effort.

Showering. A shower stool and a handheld showerhead make a meaningful difference. Keep the injured leg outside the spray zone and use the stool so you are not balancing one-legged in a wet enclosure. Showering is one of the highest fall-risk situations during NWB recovery.

Sleeping. Elevate the injured leg with pillows when possible; gravity helps manage swelling overnight. Sleeping on the non-injured side is the safest position because it prevents rolling onto the injured leg. Set up whatever you need on the nightstand before you settle in, since getting up at night on crutches in the dark is where accidents happen.

Kitchen. Preparing meals one-handed while on crutches is difficult and tiring. Batch cooking on better-mobility days helps. A rolling cart or small side table lets you move items from the counter to the table without carrying them in your hands. A backpack works for heavier loads between rooms.

Carrying items. Both hands are occupied while you are moving on crutches, so hands-free carry is the only reliable option. A backpack is the most practical choice for anything you need to move between rooms. A crutch bag that clips to the shaft is useful for smaller items. Avoid carrying anything that throws off your balance; an asymmetric load is a fall risk.

NWB is exhausting, so the right equipment matters

Weeks of swinging your full body weight through your hands is tiring and hard on the wrists. Two things help:

• A comfortable, well-built pair of forearm crutches. For most NWB patients, forearm (elbow) crutches move the load off the underarm and onto the forearm cuff, keeping the hands and wrists in a more neutral position through hours of use — a meaningful design difference from standard underarm crutches over a multi-week recovery. The In-Motion Pro is our top pick for NWB use; it scores 9 on both Comfort and Durability in our FitScore evaluation, the two dimensions that matter most when you are on crutches all day for weeks. Ergonomic grips and a well-fitted cuff keep the grip angle consistent, which is what makes moving around less of a project. See crutches that don’t hurt your hands and our best forearm crutches picks for the full comparison.
• A knee scooter for distance. Many people pair crutches (for stairs, bathrooms, tight spaces) with a knee scooter (for errands and longer distances). See knee scooter vs. crutches.

Recovering from a specific injury? Read crutches after a broken foot or ankle or crutches after surgery, and take the quiz to find a match for NWB use.

This is general information, not medical advice. Follow your surgeon’s weight-bearing instructions exactly, they decide when you can put weight down, not this page.