Being on crutches!

Hey guys!

I have been on crutches since tuesday for an ankle injury and flew to italy for a college trip, which involved climbing mount vesuvius, walking around the cobbled streets of Pompeii and Herculaneum and lots of stairs in the hotel! As you can imagine, it was really hard trying to climb a volcano on crutches but now that im home i just dont know if i can carry on doing this! I have blisters on the upper parts of my arms where they swing past my body when im on crutches, my fingers ache, i have pressure blisters on my palms and my arms are just exhausted! Does anyone have any good advice for being on crutches?

Lou
xxx

Reply 1

turkish_delight

sit down and relax!

Reply 2

Helenia

When my sister was on crutches, her friend lent her some weightlifting gloves - they're fingerless but with rubber grips, and they worked amazingly for protecting against blisters. Another friend of mine bought some cheap washing up sponges and taped them around the handles, which helped soften the pressure a bit.

Apart from that, lots of rest and putting your foot up when you can, I'm afraid!

Reply 3

navj

Yeh i agree with the gloves but dnt agree with the sponges they tear very easily and move about when ur wlkin around makin them very irritating. Iv had crutches b4, id say just get evry1 to do evrything for u, milk it!

Reply 4

fordeletionpurposesonly.

Try putting loads of socks round the handle bit, then maybe sellotaping them so they don't end up turning round when you try and walk.

Good luck!

Reply 5

BlackHawk

Rest and don't be walking around a lot. You're not supposed to if you're on crutches anyway.

I sympathise as I'm having to use crutches too due to a broken foot. I went around St. Andrews at the weekend and god do my hands hurt. I can put any pressure on them at all now.

Reply 6

kristoffee

put socks over the handles and u shouldn't get blisters on ur hands. and chill out and let other ppl do the work

Reply 7

*starry_eyed_*

you climbed a mountain on crutches???? :eek:

Reply 8

Two Tone

I found cycling gloves v. helpful, but the best cure is sitting around not doing a lot.

Reply 9

sparkly_tiara

*starry_eyed_*

you climbed a mountain on crutches???? :eek:

Yeah

I did get some very strange looks in doing so! I really wanted to take an active part in the college trip and am a super- keen geologist so i had a lot of motivation to keep on climbing but it was not easy!

Thanks for all the advice. I have padded out the handles of my crutches now and am wearing gloves but i dont think that there is much else i can do now. I think i just have to live with the pain i guess!

Lou
xxx