Back when I was a kid I used the underarm crutches but whenever I fell I somhow always managed to get my knuckles underneath the cruthes with my body weight on top.  With the forearm crutches I could fall without getting my fingers trapped.
These days I use a wheelchair mostly.  At work I use a power chair but last week I had to go out of town on business and hadto take my manual instead.  boy, Hotels sure love thick carpet don't they. I felt as slow as a turtle.

  Carla MacInnis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi,

I used the forearm crutches as a child (toddler to age 12). After
that, my father, a doctor, on his own initiative saw that I'd be better
served with the underarm ones, viewing them as being more stable and
reducing the potential for falling forward without means to recover
myself. I've used them ever since and had no problem, save that one time
when a friend ran over my longest standing pair (nicely broken in, too)
with her car. Silly me left them outside the car while loading packages
and forgot to collect them. Goes to show how strongly I don't identify
myself with crutches :) The pair I use now, only for short distances,
are ancient. The safe bet for an adult returning to use of crutches
would probably be the underarm ones, IMHO :)

Cheers!

Carla
http://www.brunnet.net/terrier


Chester Worwa wrote:

> I'm in the same boat, I just started reusing crutches
> this past May because some of the places I go to the
> bathrooms are too small for my walker. I've been
> using underarm crutches and feel they are better than
> forearm ones.
>
> --- Molly Felder wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just joined the list and find it fabulous. A
> > question: I'm twenty-two. I
> > use a manual chair and sometimes a walker. Many
> > years ago, in a fit of PT
> > rebellion, I refused to transition to Canadian
> > crutches--which have cuffs at
> > the elbow. Now that I'm having back problems from
> > sitting so much, I'd be
> > very interested in anyone who began using crutches
> > as an adult. I may not be
> > able to move on them, but I'm getting ready to try
> > again. The issue is not
> > just needing more mobility, but changing the way I
> > feel about my body.
> >
> > Just looking for advice. Thanks.

Bill Hyatt
"The shortest distance between two points is.....
 usually not accessible"


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