Traveling With Crutches
- Kyle Coppola
October 1, 2019
- We can't predict when an injury or period of time to be non-weight bearing will be necessary, but you don't need to call off your trip just yet. Like knee walkers, crutches are also a viable option to get around for mobility and allows you to continue to lead a happy and healthy recovery. Below are some tips and tricks for traveling with your crutches, as well as our recommendation for the best models.
Remember you’re not the first or last person to travel with crutches and there are policies in place that require establishments to adhere to people with disabilities to make life simpler and easier.
Can I bring my crutches on a plane? – Yes!
• Your crutches will likely have to go through an x-ray machine or be examined while going through security.
• Many airlines will allow extra boarding time for people with disabilities.
• Make sure to ask for priority boarding and look for special services staff to assist you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help while boarding the aircraft.
Related Story: Flying With A Knee Scooter
Inform The Airline of The Injury In Advance
• Let the airline know of your injury in advance so the airline knows what to expect.
• Ask and do some research on their assistance programs.
• Sometimes crutches cannot be stored in the overhead bin so be aware of this fact.
Book A Seat With More Room
• If your going to be bringing crutches on the plane, try and get a seat with extra leg room.
• Be aware the airline will not let you sit in the exit row while injured.
• Extra legroom will allow you to safely move your injured extremity. Turbulence can cause a lot of movement in the aircraft so having extra space can decrease the chance of you bumping into something during flight.
Arrive Early
• This one is easy! allow yourself extra time when getting to the airport. Allowing extra time will greatly increase the possibility of making the flight on time. Traversing the airport in a rush can lead to falls. It is als
o highly stressful enough trying to make it through security so give yourself adequate time in order to make the flight.
Crutches And Vacations
• Although knee scooters are a better option for taking on vacation crutches offer a lot of benefits. Things like site seeing and relaxing at the pool are made easy by the use of crutches.
• It is highly advised that if you are walking long distances with crutches to instead use a wheelchair or knee walker which will make the theme park experience
more pleasant.
• Using public transportation with crutches is not usually an issue as most shuttles, cars, monorail, train, bus or subways allow for easy transportation of crutches.
• Using crutches at theme parks is possible but with all the standing and walking using a knee walker at theme parks can be a better option. If this is not possible try ergonomic crutches.
Benefits of Ergonomic Crutches
Ergonomic crutches can be great for longer term use reducing the impacts felt in the hands and arms. The In-Motion Pro is designed to reduce impact on the wrist and underarm reducing nerve damage and carpel tunnel syndrome. The unique shape helps encourage proper posture as you stay active in your recovery.
Crutches and Cruise Ships
• Make sure you communicate to the cruise ship provider and ensure that they are able to assign a cabin that may accommodate crutches. Most normal cabins can accommodate crutches but if there are options for accessible cabins which might be available you can always inquire about that option.
• Using crutches on a cruise ship is more difficult than using a knee scooter. The distance you can travel in the same amount of time with a knee scooter is not as great. If this is your only option however a pair of ergonomic crutches should be the perfect solution for traversing long distances on a cruise ship.
Related Story: Traveling With A Knee Scooter On A Cruise Ship
What are the best crutches for travel?
While we recommend our knee walkers like The Swivelmate and Orthomate All Terrain Knee Scooter for the easiest travel capability, if you do prefer crutches, we suggest either the Ergonomic Crutches or Underarm Crutches which can hold up to 300lbs. You can check both of those options out here.
We also recommend checking out the iWALK3.0. If you have good balance this device acts like a crutch but also enables easy movement. Walking feels a lot more natural while keeping your hands free to use. Crutches cannot provide this feature so it’s highly worth looking at if you’re looking for a completely different alternate to a knee scooter or crutches.
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