The Ultimate Resource Guide for Living on Crutches

It’s been about 15 weeks since since my rock-climbing accident, and it’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve been fully off crutches. But since I’ve spent the last several months living, traveling, and even climbing on and off of boats with crutches, I thought I’d write a guide for living with crutches, with links to some of the resources I’ve found valuable.

Crutch skills

Yes, your occupational therapist/physical therapist should be giving you some lessons on using crutches, but sometimes they don’t answer all of your questions (or you don’t realize what questions you have to ask until you’ve gone home). Here are a few of the videos that were most helpful to me for sitting safely, climbing stairs, and getting through heavy doors (very important!):

Crutch upgrades

One of the most common comments on crutches I heard from well-wishers was, “Oh, the crutches must hurt your armpits.” Honestly, if you’re using them correctly, you shouldn’t be leaning into your armpits; you should be bearing your weight through your arms/hands. (Side-note: My arms have gotten pretty buff…okay, not quite, but I’ve definitely lost some arm jiggle.)

BUT if you do need some extra padding, I’ve seen lots and lots of good reviews for the Crutcheze line of products which also include bottle holders (which is definitely something I wish I had known about earlier on in the process).

One thing I did upgrade was the tips of the crutches. The ones that come with the crutches are okay if you never encounter water, but just a smidge of water under the hand-dryers at a bar while I was out one night almost sent me flying. These guys aren’t elegant, but they do the trick for sure. NOTE: It does take a day or two to get used to them, but I like that their design reminds me of those mountain goats who can climb up extremely steep cliffs—the spread of the rubber (or soft hooves) does the trick.

Food and diet

If you are like me and need to take medication with food, it can be really beneficial to have granola bars and nut bars (I like the Kind bars) around the house.

It’s also worth noting that one of the main challenges of getting around on crutches is that you don’t have your hands free. This means that cooking is basically a non-starter, so buckle up for lots of takeout and frozen food in trays (easier to manage). Don’t be afraid to avail yourself on some friends who like to cook to make you things that keep in the fridge or freezer.

Speaking of preparing and transporting food (say, you want to make food in the kitchen and eat it in the living room), I recommend that you put your food into a plastic container, and put that (plus utensils, napkins, etc.) into a plastic bag that you can hold onto as you crutch into the other room.

For drinks (of all kinds), I recommend a thermos and water bottle that has some kind of handle or loop, so you can thread your fingers through as you hold onto the crutch (or again, invest in one of those bottle holders as mentioned earlier). The water bottles were super useful to me—and when I finally was off medication, they were also useful for making and transporting cocktails (makeshift shaker) when I wanted to treat myself.

Home upgrades

There are lots of things you can do around the house to make it more convenient. Before I left the hospital, I made a whole list of things to move around in my house to reduce tripping hazards: I had my father move all the shoes by my front door, the small throw rug in my bedroom, some low-hanging artwork, and one of the small organizers on the floor of my bathroom.

I even had him remove my bathroom door (my bathroom is a small 4-piece), so that I’d have a more direct route to navigate. Finally, I had my parents move my bed, which is usually centered in my bedroom, to one side, to give me the maximum amount of space to move in the bedroom.

In the bathroom, you may also consider getting some temporary grips (which have been very helpful to me) and a shower chair, so that you’re more comfortable while bathing. Also change out your shower head for a hand-shower if you don’t already have one; it’ll make your life much simpler.

Speaking of bathing, I recommend that you get a cover for your cast/injured area, so you can wash without stress. I was pretty happy with one of these loose covers, but I also got one of these vacuum-style covers that you can go swimming in when I went traveling.

Exercise

I broke my ankle while rock-climbing, so you may have guessed that I am generally pretty active. Because of that, going from walking/running several miles a day to barely walking a quarter mile was a big shock to the system.

To keep myself exercising, I found a good recommendation to get an under-desk bike—you can actually use it with your arms (on top of a table) in order to get some cardio exercise in. I also did a little light weight training for my upper body, since the crutches were hard work at first.

Apps and services (Lyft, Instacart, Alfred, Amazon Prime)

Living in New York City, I have access to a lot of apps and services that made my life easier, especially since I live on my own and most of my friends don’t have cars. I realize that these services might not be available to everyone, but I feel like they’re worth mentioning here just in case.

A few of my favorites included:

Lyft – Reliable car services, on demand, at affordable prices [Use my code: ZONTEE746598 for $20 on your first ride]

Instacart – Groceries from your local supermarkets, hand-picked and delivered

Amazon Prime – Free 2-day shipping on millions of items, plus lots of music and movies/TV to keep you entertained during nurse visits, doctor’s waiting rooms, etc.

Alfred – This isn’t a service I’ve actually used, but I feel like it’s a pretty useful when you can’t do a lot of errands and chores yourself: it’s a “butler” service that pairs you with a person who comes weekly—I would have loved to have someone take out recycling, bring in packages, and do other things that are tricky when your arms are otherwise occupied

What else?

I’m sure I’ve missed some things, so leave me a comment and I’m happy to add to this list.

In the meantime, I’ll add one more tip: if you have good credit, consider applying for a zero APY credit card with a cash bonus to put your bills on. It’ll allow you to pay off your deductables, co-pays, co-insurance, etc. over a longer period of time, instead of in lump sums. NerdWallet.com has some good reviews that were helpful to me.

I’m now on my last week in the CAM boot, so the end is nigh, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. If you’re in the beginning of the process, just know that it feels much shorter once you’re on the other side. Hang in there!