What is the trick to walking on crutches?

[videofit]

I have a small, clean tibia break which, on the xray, looked like someone took a hacksaw and cut into my bone about an inch. Doc said it's the best kind of break to have. No cast, just the boot for four weeks, then back for more xrays.

If everything looks good after that time, do you have to wear the boot minus crutches or with one crutch a couple of more weeks?

Same woman who told me about Freedom Leg said she used a type of electrical device at home to heal the inner bone because that takes longer than the outer bone.

I know I'll need physical therapy. What do they do for something like this? I've never had physical therapy.

This is why I want to do my Getting Better DVD so I can strengthen as much of my leg as I can so therapy won't be as long.

[Exercise Diva]

Videofit, I'm sorry that you're dealing with this. I broke my ankle years ago - just a hairline fracture, and honestly I never mastered crutches very well and ended up crawling up and down stairs in my house much to the enjoyment of my daughter and her friends. I would ask your ortho about how much movement you can do with your ankle and when. Mine told me not to move it at all, and I took him literally and I ended up with a frozen ankle which ended up being much worse than the break. Not trying to scare you, but I would never want anyone to go through that, and and it's so preventable.

[lreidgreen]

Sorry videofit about your injury. I just had bunion surgery last week and have been navigating with both a knee scooter and crutches. The scooter doesn't easily fit in my bathroom so I park the knee scooter outside and switch to crutches. I am getting much better with the crutches however and sometimes I would rather use them because in some ways they are easier than turning the scooter around. The main reason why I use the scooter more however is that it has a basket which is essential for carrying things. So if you do end up getting a scooter get one with a basket.

The PTs at the ortho practice were going to show me how to navigate stairs with the crutches but I said NO WAY. I live in a ranch and getting to the basement is not essential for the 2 weeks I can't put full weight on the foot. As it was I "tripped" twice and had to put the affected foot down and it was not a pleasant feeling.

ETA: A friend told me that when she got bunion surgery she used crutches and ended up falling and injuring her other foot!
AND this thread has reminded me to get out my copy of Margaret Richards Getting Better which I purchased just in case...

[videofit]

Originally Posted by Exercise Diva

I would ask your ortho about how much movement you can do with your ankle and when. Mine told me not to move it at all, and I took him literally and I ended up with a frozen ankle which ended up being much worse than the break. .

What? Never heard of that!

At the moment my foot and calf are very swollen so I will have to wait a week till it goes down (fingers crossed) then see how much range of motion I have. Because the break is above the joint I'm assuming I could move my foot up and down and around a bit without damaging the bone above it.

I rotate my good foot which is sore from hopping. My hip flexors are tight from so much sitting so I try to stretch when I think of it. My neck is sore but that may be due to sleeping badly, not finding a comfortable position or from leaning over the crutches and looking down.

I worry that after a month one butt cheek and thigh will be massive while the other shriveled from no use! Still too early to do Getting Better. Can't get down on the floor because I won't be able to get up! I can do standing hamstring curls, back and side leg lifts to work outer thighs and butt. My abs are tight from bracing them while I hobble.

I've lost a couple of pounds already because I haven't been that hungry plus all the exertion. Consciously trying to eat more and take various vitamins including some organic superfoods powder.

I am so glad I am relatively fit. I can't imagine someone who never exercised being in this predicament. I am exhausted from lifting and lowering my body weight constantly. I kneel on a step stool to give my feet a rest while I cook. My palms and wrists are sore from crutches but my underarms feel okay probably because the muscles all around the armpit are developed and act as padding. Just washing in the sink (shampooed for the first time--yippee!) requires balance and strength.

[Paine]

Several years ago I had a bad sprained ankle and I had to crawl on my hands and knees to climb up the stairs. Going downstairs, I would sit on a stair then use my good foot and hands to creep down each step-- one step at a time. When using crutches, you have to hold up your body weight with your hands and not let your armpits lean on the crutches (as Alisoncooks mentioned above).

I hope you have a good and quick recovery.

[lreidgreen]

Videofit, My hip flexor is also really tight from sitting so much. I can't figure out how to stretch it since I can't put my foot in the positions required for the stretches I usually do. What are you doing to stretch them? My calves and piriformis (deep muscle in the glute area) are also really tight/sore. I am using a Tiger's tale or Yoga Tune up ball to massage my calves and stretching my piriformis by sitting and crossing the injured foot over my other knee and bending forward. I also used the Yoga Tune up ball around my SI joint which helped since that was bothering me as well. Unfortunately the de-bunioned foot is the same side that I have chronic hip/low back issues.

And yes, thank goodness my legs are strong. I am able to do a pistol squat to the toilet and back up again without a commode.

ETA: Yeah I am wondering if I can get back up off the floor. May have to try it when DH is around to help me if I cannot get up.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by Paine

Several years ago I had a bad sprained ankle and I had to crawl on my hands and knees to climb up the stairs. Going downstairs, I would sit on a stair then use my good foot and hands to creep down each step-- one step at a time. When using crutches, you have to hold up your body weight with your hands and not let your armpits lean on the crutches (as Alisoncooks mentioned above).

I hope you have a good and quick recovery.

I think I am going to crawl down the stairs to the basement soon. My copy of "Getting Better" is down there! Not sure how I am going to get around once I get down there though. It may just have to wait another week.

[Exercise Diva]

[QUOTE=videofit;2827382]What? Never heard of that!

Like I said, I'm not trying to scare you. At some point though, and your ortho will probably tell you when, you'll want to do some basic mobility exercises. Not now when it's swollen and sore but as it starts to heal. I honestly had the worst doctor - didn't even want to see me until after the 6-week mark had passed, which was ridiculous, so I was pretty much left to my own devices during most of my healing. I just let people know who have an ankle injury because it's avoidable and probably one of the worst things I went through - unnecessarily.

[videofit]

Originally Posted by lreidgreen

Videofit, My hip flexor is also really tight from sitting so much. I can't figure out how to stretch it since I can't put my foot in the positions required for the stretches I usually do. What are you doing to stretch them? My calves and piriformis (deep muscle in the glute area) are also really tight/sore.

Sit on the edge of the bed and slowly lie back propping yourself on your forearms, legs stretched out, feet on floor. You should feel a good stretch. Then I just count to 15 or 20.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by videofit

Sit on the edge of the bed and slowly lie back propping yourself on your forearms, legs stretched out, feet on floor. You should feel a good stretch. Then I just count to 15 or 20.

Thank you!