I wanted to share a great testimonial letter we recently received from an individual who ordered our custom forearm crutches:
Being a Post Polio victim all my life (I’m in my mid 50’s) and needing to use crutches since I could stand – in other words, I’ve been on crutches all my life - well, since I’ve received Steve’s crutches (I really like the black styling of them) - it’s been like I’m a youngster again - I’m so confident in the strength and sturdiness of this product, that I no longer worry about the possible breaking of them - I simply enjoy the freedom of the use of them – I can go anywhere and enjoy whatever I’m doing personally or professionally - they’re the best crutches I’ve ever had – I highly recommend them to everyone and thank goodness I discovered this source for ordering crutches. Thanks Steve - you’re the Man, and thank your technician for me - he was great also.
Ralph Ruiz
Thanks very much Ralph-Happy Trails!
Custom Crutches
PS. Ralph has his own business and helps companies who need marketing tools. His specialties include brochures and website designs. Stop by Ralph’s site if you are in need of some marketing help.
Custom crutches allow us to build your aluminum and titanium crutches to your exact height. The advantage is a stronger crutch and you don’t have those annoying adjustment holes that will egg out with time and create that annoying clattering sound!
Let’s start with the x and the y measurement. Please use a tape measure as you will need the flexibility and accuracy. The x measurement is from the top of of crutch cuff to the top of your crutch handle. The y measurement is from the top of the crutch handle to the very bottom of the crutch tip-be sue you measure under the tip to be completely accurate. If your tip is badly worn add a 1/4 of an inch or so to compensate. That wasn’t too painful was it?
Next, let’s measure your forearm. Measure the width around your forearm at it’s largest part. Our side opening cuffs are custom made to your forearms so don’t worry if your forearm is very big or very small-there is not an extra charge for our custom, side opening cuffs. We only use the side openings because it gives you the ability to carry and hold items without your crutch falling off!
One last measurement is for the correct position of the arm cuff. As a general rule it is best to have the top of the cuff about 3″ from the point of your elbow when you have your arm at a 90 degree angle. There are no hard and fast rules but we find this gives you the maximum leverage when using your crutches.
Please don’t hesitate to email me: steve at disabledservices.net with any questions or call me here in Denver, Colorado at 303-619-8972
Happy Trails
Steve Mertz
At Disabled Services we are frequently asked if we ship our crutches and crutch accessories internationally-the answer is Yes! We recently shipped custom crutches to Australia, titanium crutches to England and are currently shipping some Shepherd Titanium crutches to Croatia!
We ship out of Denver, Colorado and as the dollar is falling out International clients are getting quite a bang for their buck. The pair of crutches that we recently shipped to Australia cost $60 for express shipping-which was a pleasant surprise.
Thanks to all our clients-here in the US and all of you International clients. We have had extensive experience with getting your crutches and accessories expedited through customs so don’t let that be a concern.
Best Wishes,
Steve Mertz
Let me tell you about Craig Hospital, the finest hospital in the world for spinal cord injuries, in my humble opinion. Craig Hospital is located In Englewood, Colorado. A few weeks ago I got a call from a physical therapist trying to locate a pair of Right Grip crutch handles. I was impressed with Sharon’s effort to locate the crutch handles for patients that she thought would benefit. Fortunately, we were able to connect and I delivered the handles to Craig Hospital this morning.
The reason I always deliver the handles myself is because I walk through the hospital and everywhere I look the staff and the patients are smiling. They have that joy in their hearts and that determination in their eyes. Most of them are in wheelchairs and have suffered severe physical injuries-never mind, they are some of the most courageous people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
On this particular morning I had the pleasure of meeting Natasha deVarona RPT. Natasha took the handles from me and said she had some “gaiters” who would benefit from the Right Grip. It was a joy for me to hear that some folks in wheelchairs had progressed to the state of using crutches occasionally. All that Natasha could think about was the welfare of her patients and how she might help them. She has an infectious smile and real joy in her presence. She is a perfect example of all Craig staff members that I have had the pleasure of meeting.
She showed me a prototype of a Right Grip they had in their office-that brought back some memories. It was back in 1997 when I first took that prototype to Craig and asked them if they could find a use for it. They graciously helped me out. October is the month when we honor Physical Therapists-and I can’t think of a group of individuals that are more deserving. As I walked out of Craig Hospital I felt like the luckiest guy in Denver. I get to walk out of Craig while many of my brothers and sisters won’t walk out today. It made me count my blessings and I would encourage you to do the same.
It’s always a plesure to hear from users of custom crutches. Meet Rob Newman, a recent customer of Disabled Services. I wanted to share his kind words with you:
Dear Steve,
I have been using your custom “Superlite” low-bend forearm crutches, with performance gel grips and tornado tips for about one month now. They are possibly the best investment that I have ever made. When I used my old adjustable forearm crutches, my shoulders hurt, my hands and wrists ached just with a simple walk to the end of the block. Within three days of using your crutches my shoulders stopped hurting completely. Within a week, my wrists and hands stopped aching and I am now able to do twice as much exercise as I could only a month ago with my old crutches. I would recommend your crutches to anyone with the need for forearm crutches. They have both expanded my small world here and most importantly, they have gotten rid of the pain. You are awesome!
Regards, Robert C Newman
Thanks Rob-What a great spirit. All the best to you. Steve
We all know someone who would enjoy a new pair of custom forearm or underarm crutches. Crutches that are custom made to an individuals exact height-eliminating those annoying adjustment holes that end up egging out and are noisy. My former wife bought me my first pair of colored custom forearm crutches. I was too cheap (more…)
Kevin Everett, of the Buffalo Bills football team may walk again. He was injured in a football game and was taken off the field unable to move his legs and arms. Fortunately, Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, the Bill’s orthopedic surgeon, took immediate action. Dr. Cappuccino ran an ice-cold saline solution through Everett’s system that put the player in a ”modest hypothermia” state-helping to reduce the swelling of the spinal column!
Best wishes to Everett and all of you unsung heroes who just keep on making it happen….day after day without all the headlines 
I’ve been on crutches since I was six years old due to nerve damage in my spinal column. Fortunately, I’m very mobile and get along very well with my crutches. However, for myself and others-stem cell research holds a certain degree (more…)
I’ve been testing Aventure replacement crutch tips since April. The crutch tips are made by Keen Mobility and I am going to put them on the Hall of Fame. Good job Keen Mobility. I have mentioned in earlier post that for the past 15 years I have used Tornado crutch tips exclusively, now I have some additional options.
Keen says that the Aventure pivoting tips are “designed to improve safety and mobility on uneven and slick surfaces.” These crutch tips can flex up to 30 degrees for increased surface contact-I can verify that from my own crutch use. I can’t give them a thumbs up when it comes to increased safety and mobility on slick surfaces. Just like other crutch tips on the market they have their limitations. They did not increase my stability on wet or slick surfaces. I still highly recommend the Aventure crutch tips and their cane tips! Keen says that their replacement crutch tips will fit all standard crutches with 3/4″ to 7/8″ bases. The base on my custom forearm crutches is actually 1″. While a struggle to put on, it does fit. These crutch tips come in various colors and the best thing is the price. A pair of Aventure crutch tips will only cost you $20.00.
Aventure also makes cane tips and tips for smaller crutches. These cane tips fit canes from 1/2″ to 5/8″ diameter. They also come in different colors. Since they are from the same manufacturer and made the same way as their crutch tips-I am also recommending these cane tips. They are priced at $16.oo a pair. I like these crutch and cane tips enough that I am going to make them available with the other crutch tips we sell. If you have had any experiences with the Aventure tips please feel free to comment.
I recently had an opportunity to test drive the performance gel crutch grips made by Tom Fetterman. In addition, I spoke with a very active forearm crutch user who had been using the Performance gel grips for about a year. She felt they were a little hard and could use more Absorbalite gel. I would concur with her on that point. Being an inventor of a crutch handle myself I can appreciate just how difficult a task it is to make a great handle!
The Performance grips do not fill the palmar arch of your hand. Because of this your wrist does not get the support it needs and she found herself getting wrist fatigue and very sore hands. (more…)
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