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pronker Posted May 2020

Mobility hint for negotiating stairs after various leg injuries.

Ascending stairs: take them one by one, good leg first.
Descending stairs: take them one by one, bad leg first.


 Some days, one knee hurts worse than the other and other days, one ankle hurts worse. This is what I've found helpful; feedback welcome!

pronker May 2020
@GardenArtist The stairs have only one bannister, but there's a stairlift to the second floor. The steps I mentioned mainly are outside on a deck with two steps and also there's a sunken living room and of course going down to the attached garage. Before the stairlift was put in by the VA, Spouse fell twice down them over a cat which liked the stairs to lie on and you know, cats don't move out of your way. He tripped and fell and now the cats have turned into outdoor cats with their own shelter; in fact, when I let them in occasionally, they don't like to stay more than two minutes before hustling to the door to go outside once more. Yes, the cell phone is a godsend.

GardenArtist May 2020
Sounds like you've found a plan that works well for you- congratulations!

Do you have banisters on both sides of the staircase?

After seeing the trapezes in some hospital rooms, I'm thinking that would be a good adaptability, i.e., something above the stairs, or grab bars above the stairs, that someone could hold onto more easily than a banister, which sometimes can be a bit slippery if it's well polished wood.

And always carry your cell phone in your pocket.

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pronker May 2020
@Geaton777 You're welcome. It's tough when now-and-then ailments become chronic. ;( Best wishes to your mom and to you.

Geaton777 May 2020
My mom has bone-on-bone in one knee. For stairs her ortho doc told her to remember "up with good, down with the bad". Thanks for this post!

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