Are crutches bad for injured runners?

I just had a consultation with an injured runner who asked… “Are crutches bad for injured runners?” The correct answer is yes, crutches are bad for injured runners, especially if you use crutches any longer than it takes to heal your injury enough to start walking without crutches. But if you needed crutches, and you avoid them, that could be even worse for you as a runner. Nothing in medicine is black and white. Everything is gray. And crutches are no exception. Today on the Doc on the Run Podcast, we're talking about what injured runners should think about when injured and offered a pair crutches in a doctors office.