hey everybody it's Doctor Jo and today I'm going to show you how to go up and down
the steps with two crutches, one crutch, and a cane. it really seems scary
sometimes, but if you get it figured out it's really not that hard. so let's get started.
So first off, I'm gonna show you how to do it with the crutches, but I will show you how to
do it with a cane as well, so stay tuned for that. we're gonna start hardest and
going down to the easiest. so the hardest one probably is with two crutches if
you're completely non-weight-bearing. so this one is a little tough because it's
a balance issue as well, and if you can't master this, just on the first step back
and forth, some people end up going up with their bottom. that's a way to do it,
but again if you can master this and get the balance, it's pretty easy. just make
sure you practice on one step before trying to go all the way up, getting
halfway and then getting stuck. so if my right one was the bad one, you always
want to go up with your good, down with your bad, and the crutches or the cane
always stay with the bad leg, even if it's not touching the ground. so if I
want to go up the step with the good leg first, the crutches and my bad leg stay
down. so that I'm basically gonna hop up the
step. so it's a hop. see how the crutches stay until I get that good leg and then
come up, hop, and come up. so see how I'm really using my good leg to power up?
when I go down, you go down with your bad. so that means the crutches lead first.
this time use your good leg to bend so you don't have to hop down so much. so
you're really just touching the ground. so you're going down with the bad. and
see how I've bend that good leg, and then come down. I touched a little bit and
that's okay as long as you're not putting a lot of pressure.
and then down, and then hop. so one more time. I'll go a little bit quicker. Up. Down.
so again if you're practicing for this for the first time, start on that first
step. if you have somebody with you when you're going up, have them behind you.
when you're coming down have them in front of you coming down. so if you slip
a little bit, they can help support you. so now if you're still with two crutches,
but you're partial weight bearing, which means you can put some weight on that
foot, but you're really not supposed to put a whole lot of weight on that foot,
it's the same concept except your foot can be touching a little bit now. so
you're going up with the good and down with the bad.
so almost imagine that you have eggshells under that bad foot. so it's
just barely touching and the crutches are the main support. so again up with
the good. Down with the bad.
also when you're using those crutches, depending on how wide your step is, make
sure your crutches aren't right by your fee,t put them out just a little bit or
as far as you can without hitting the wall because that'll give you more
support. okay so now with one crutch. so you're getting there. you're still
partial weight bearing but you are comfortable enough where you can just go
to one crutch. the one crutch or even the cane goes on
the opposite side of the bad leg. so the right side is still the bad. the crutch
or the cane goes on the left side, but it's all still the same concept. up with
the good leg, down with the back leg. so everything stays, good leg goes up, good
leg goes up. turn around, bad down, bad down. and if you have a railing to hold
on to with the other hand definitely do that. so again up with the good. Down with the bad.
so that same concept is with a cane. the cane is going to be in the opposite hand
of the bad side. so if my right side is the bad side, it's in the left hand. so
the cane should be right here about at your hipbone. nice and comfortable and
that elbow again should be that 20 to 30 degrees. so it shouldn't be a big Bend
because then that's gonna put a lot of pressure on your shoulder and it
shouldn't be straight up because then you're gonna have to lean into the cane.
so nice comfortable spot it should feel comfortable, you shouldn't feel awkward
with it and you should have it just away from your foot a little bit so your foot
doesn't kick and bump it. so that natural position right there.
same concept going up with the good down with the bad. so now the right leg's my
good leg. so I'm going up, cane stays with that bad side, and then they come up
together. up with the good. they come up together. now I'm going down with the bad.
so the cane and the bad leg go at the same time. they touch as soon as you get
solid and steady, they come down. there. come down. so sometimes when people
overthink it. they're trying to go, but naturally that's how our bodies would go.
it's just like walking. opposite arms and an opposite legs swing together, so when
we're going, we're just going up with that good one, up for that good one, down
with the bad and cane down with the bad. okay so there you have it, sometimes it
does take a little bit of practice. like I said, if you have somebody there with
you, make sure that they're just kind of guiding you a little bit and supporting
you a little bit until you get comfortable with it. and I would always
say just practice on one step before you try going all the way up and down. so
there you have it. If you have any questions, leave in the comments section. if you'd
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have fun, and I hope you feel better soon.