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Crutches and alternatives: part I
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The basic design of the crutch dates back to the earliest civilizations as hieroglyphs on cave walls, and paintings on Egyptian tombs reveal. It is wonderfully simple and has proved incredibly useful as evidenced by the endurance of its basic design. But, as anyone who has used a pair of crutches knows, 
there are some drawbacks to the design. Even when used under the best conditions and with appropriate training on their usage, crutches press against tender flesh under arms and on palms of hands. Common complaints include numbing of the arm and hand, often the result of decreased blood circulation; shoulder pain; ligament or nerve damage under the armpit. Some of these concerns can be managed with adjustments to height, distributing the body’s weight differently on the crutches, repositioning the crutches against the chest wall instead of under the arms, utilizing cushioned covers for the pads and grips. Ultimately, using crutches correctly, or the creation of a viable alternative to the crutch will reduce, if not eliminate some of these potential dangers of crutch use.
Every few years a “new” version of the crutch appears. In this five part series we take a closer look at some of the alternatives in this article, highlighting the advantages and some of the downsides of these alternatives.
The Millennial Crutch, winner of the National Merit Award for Best Product in 2005, changes the upper portion of the crutch, using an offset design, allowing weight to be more evenly distributed across the top of the crutch. The ergonomic hand grip protrudes at a right angle instead of its usual placement in typical crutches, wedged between the parallel vertical rods which provide their stable design. This type of grip fits each hand appropriately – right for the right hand, left for the other --, distributing weight around the palm of the hand, instead of focusing it all on the heel of the palm. The Millennial Crutch also comes in varying lengths and in a folding model.
Millennial Crutches cost slightly more than the typical pair of crutches, although they remain affordable. It is unusual, if not impossible, to find these crutches in rental fleets offered by pharmacies or medical equipment dealers. If usage is temporary, as it is a large percentage of the time with crutch use, customers are more apt to rent typical crutches and not seek out a more comfortable option.
This approach to a moderate remake of crutches is an interesting and useful attempt to work through some of the design issues with traditional crutches that cause discomfort and sometime serious injury.
Part II of this series introduces another manufacturer’s efforts to ensure safety and comfort when using this important piece of mobility equipment.
Send questions about mobility products or ideas for reviews to Kathryn.
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