Canes and walking sticks

The right cane, which is almost never the one in the chemist.

A cane set to the wrong height does more harm than no cane. Three that are worth owning, and how to set them up.

The cane is the most under-thought purchase in mobility and the one most likely to be set up wrong. The handle should meet the wrist crease when the arm hangs straight. Higher and the shoulder does the work; lower and the person leans, which is how a cane causes a fall instead of preventing one.

What we are reviewing

In review

3 more we are working through.

These are real needs we intend to cover. We have not put a name against them yet because we have not finished checking, and a recommendation we have not verified is worth nothing to you.

Reviewing Adjustable offset cane An offset handle puts your weight over the shaft rather than in front of it, which is why it is the shape most therapists recommend. In review What we are checking → Reviewing Folding travel cane A cane that folds into a bag is a cane that is actually with you on the day you need it. In review What we are checking → Reviewing Quad cane Four feet mean it stands up on its own and gives a much wider base. In review What we are checking →

How to choose

The three things that decide it.

Height, set once, properly

Standing in normal shoes, arms relaxed: the handle sits at the crease of the wrist. Adjust it on the day it arrives and do not leave it at the factory setting.

Which hand

The cane goes in the hand OPPOSITE the weaker leg, and moves forward with it. Most people get this wrong instinctively.

Handle shape is a comfort decision and a grip decision

Arthritic hands do badly with a narrow crook handle. A moulded or offset handle spreads the load across the palm.