walking with crutches partial weight bearing it is very important to follow your doctor's orders place only the amount of weight ordered by your doctor on your injured leg to sit in a chair back up until you feel the chair on the back of your legs place both crutches and the hand of your injured side hold your injured leg out in front of you as you reach back for the chair with your other hand lower yourself slowly to the chair bending at your hips do the reverse to stand back up to walk with crutches partial weight bearing when you walk with crutches it is important that you keep the crutches under your arms and close to your sides squeeze the top of the crutches into your sides while putting weight on your hands and not through your armpits this is the correct way this would be incorrect do not lean on the crutches with your armpits move the crutches forward six to twelve inches push down on the handgrips as you step forward with your injured leg putting the designated weight through your injured leg as you step through with your healthy leg the injured leg always steps through first before the healthy leg the sequence is crutches forward injured leg forward then stepping through with the healthy leg to go upstairs begin close to the bottom step step up with your healthy leg first then lift up the crutches then the injured leg check your balance before you continue if there is a sturdy handrail available you can place both crutches under one arm and use the handrail with the other remember step up with the good foot first and then the crutches lastly the injured foot or leg follows to go down steps start at the edge of the step keeping your hips beneath you place crutches on the lower step your injured leg goes down next the healthy leg is last check your balance before you continue make sure you bend at the hips and knees to prevent leaning forward which could cause you to fall if there is a sturdy handrail available hold both crutches under one arm and use the handrail with the other arm place crutches on the lower step your injured leg goes down next the healthy leg is last