What is non-weight-bearing?
Non-weight-bearing means no weight goes through an injured leg or foot while it heals. The foot may hover above the floor, and the body is carried by the other leg and by crutches or a walking frame.
It is the strictest of the weight-bearing instructions. Your surgeon decides how long it lasts.
Why does it matter?
The bone or the repair needs protection while it knits. A single step with full weight can undo weeks of healing.
It also puts extra demand on your arms, hands, the other leg and your balance. Planning your home before you need it makes the weeks easier and safer.
An everyday example in Ipoh
Danial broke his ankle playing futsal and lives in a two-storey terrace house in Bandar Baru Putra. His bedroom is upstairs, and the bathroom floor is tiled and slippery.
For the first weeks we help him sleep downstairs, practise the crutches on a dry surface and plan the bathroom with a stool and a non-slip mat. We also teach him how to carry a cup of kopi using a bag on the crutch or a tray from a trolley.
Related terms and next steps
Other levels of load are in weight-bearing, and the aids are covered in crutches. Our pages on ankle fracture and fracture recovery show what follows.
Read stairs in Ipoh terrace houses after surgery and surgeon rehabilitation instructions for the wider plan.