Crutch Walking
Crutch Walking
Crutch Walking
COLLEGE OF NURSING
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400
S/Y 2020-2021
Crutches are a type of Walking Aids that serve to increase the size of an individual’s Base of
support. It transfers weight from the legs to the upper body and is often used by people who
cannot use their legs to support their weight (i.e., short-term injuries to lifelong disabilities)
The use of crutches may be indicated if a patient:
Hemi walker: This is also known as a walk cane. It is made of aluminum and has a vertical
component with a handle and two legs, and another component with two additional legs
angled away from the patient. This cane provides more broad based support than the other
canes. It is used by patients requiring continuous weight bearing through one upper extremity
like stroke patients with hemiparesis who have moderate to severe lower extremity
disability.
A walker is a walking aid that has four points of contact with the ground and usually has three
sides with the side closest to the patient being open. It provides a wider base of support than a
walking stick and so is used more to stabilize patients with poor balance and mobility. Having
a caregiver and being unable to walk more than one meter per second has been significantly
associated with walking frame use. Paradoxically, walker or frame use has been associated with
an increased risk of falls in both the community-dwellers and those who live in residential care.
Using a walker can also increase metabolic and musculoskeletal demands so prescription and
education is key to helping the user maintain their balance, minimize their falls risk and
optimize their activity levels. There is no one walker that should be used. Walker choice is
dependent on what activities the user will use it for, where the walker will be used, how
much support the user requires and the user's confidence with a walker.