Choosing
How to size and fit crutches
The two adjustments that determine whether crutches hurt: the height of the underarm pad and the height of the handgrip. Plus the walking pattern, stairs, and the mistakes that cause armpit and wrist pain.
Contents 8 sections
Almost every complaint about crutches is a fit problem, not a crutch problem. Two adjustments fix most of it, and both take about a minute.
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Set the overall height first
Stand up straight in the shoes you will be wearing, with the crutch tips about two inches out to the side of each foot and about six inches ahead. The top pad should sit roughly 1.5 to 2 inches below your armpit: two finger widths is the standard check. If you can rest your armpit on the pad while standing normally, the crutches are too tall.
A common shortcut is to subtract about 16 inches from your height. Use it as a starting point, then check against your own body rather than trusting the number.
Then set the handgrips
This is the adjustment people skip, and it is the one that decides whether your hands survive. Standing with your arms hanging loose, the handgrip should line up with the crease of your wrist. When you hold it, your elbow should bend slightly, about 15 to 30 degrees. That bend is what lets your arm act as a spring instead of a rigid post.
Grips too low means straight elbows and load driven into the wrist joints. Grips too high means your shoulders end up shrugged and tired within an hour.
The rule that matters more than either
Your hands carry your weight. The underarm pads exist to steady the crutch against your ribs while you swing through, not to hold you up. Leaning on the pads compresses the soft tissue in the armpit, which is where a bundle of nerves runs, and prolonged pressure there can cause numbness or weakness in the hand. If your armpits are sore, the fit or the technique is wrong, and it is worth having a clinician or fitter look at it rather than pushing through.
Walking
The standard non-weight-bearing pattern: move both crutches forward together, take your weight through your hands, and swing your good leg through to land just behind or level with the tips. Keep the injured leg off the ground and slightly bent. Look ahead, not down at your feet.
Your clinician may have prescribed partial weight bearing instead, in which case the injured foot goes down between the crutches with a specified amount of load. Follow what you were told; the patterns are not interchangeable.
Stairs
Going up: good leg onto the step first, then bring the crutches and the injured leg up to meet it. Going down: crutches and injured leg down to the lower step first, then the good leg. Use a handrail whenever one exists, holding both crutches in the opposite hand.
Things worth checking every couple of weeks
- Tips. Worn or glazed rubber tips slip. Replacement sets are $8 to $20 and are the cheapest safety upgrade available.
- Push pins and clips. Confirm both height pins are fully seated through their holes and the clips are engaged.
- Weight rating. Standard crutches are typically rated to around 250–300 lb; bariatric models go higher. Do not exceed the rating.
- Shoes. Changing from sneakers to flat shoes shifts your height enough to matter.
Getting fitted in person
A medical supply dealer will size crutches for you at no charge in most cases, and an orthotics practice will do it as part of a fitting. If you have been having pain, or you are switching to forearm crutches, that visit is worth more than another round of guessing. 88,756 supply dealers are listed in this directory by city.
Common questions
- How far below the armpit should crutches be?
- About two finger widths, roughly 1.5 to 2 inches. The pad should never be pressed into the armpit while you walk; it is there to guide the crutch against your ribs, not to carry your weight.
- Where should the handgrip sit?
- Level with your wrist crease when you stand with your arms hanging naturally. When you grip it, your elbow should bend about 15 to 30 degrees.
- Why do my hands and wrists hurt on crutches?
- Usually because the handgrips are too low, which forces your elbows straight and drives load into the wrists, or because the grips are hard plastic. Raise the grips first, then add gel covers.
- How do I go up and down stairs on crutches?
- Up with the good leg first, then the crutches and the injured leg. Down with the crutches and injured leg first, then the good leg. The phrase clinicians use is "up with the good, down with the bad." Use a handrail when there is one.
How we researched this guide
Written and maintained by the CrutchDirectory editorial team at NLH Enterprises LLC. Coverage rules, billing codes and equipment definitions are taken from primary government sources, linked below. Prices are typical US retail ranges observed at national retailers and change often, so treat them as a bracket rather than a quote.
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Using crutches Fit measurements, the weight-through-the-hands rule and the stairs sequence
- FDA: 21 CFR 890.3150, crutch device classification Device labelling requirements, including height and weight ratings
Not medical advice. These guides cover products, prices and coverage mechanics. They are not written or reviewed by a clinician and do not diagnose or treat anything. Which mobility aid suits your injury, and what weight you may put through it, are questions for the clinician treating you.