Patient/caregiver was educated on crutches as follows:

1. Crutches are assistive devices used to provide more support to individuals with unilateral lower extremity weakness and consequent compromised balance.
2. Compromised balance could be secondary to weakness, injury, surgery, involving either of the lower extremities and weight bearing joints on one leg.
3. The weakness and limitations on lower extremity weightbearing could be temporary or permanent.
4. Crutches are usually used to complement an injured or weak leg and take some/total weight off of injured or weak leg. So, when a single crutch is being used, it is held in the hand opposite of the weak leg.
5. Crutches help transfer the job of weightbearing from the legs to the upper body. So, individuals using crutches require sufficient upper body strength and coordination to support and move their own body weight.
6. For this reason, use of crutches is not indicated for individuals with injury/weakness of upper arm and body or bilateral lower extremity injury/weakness.