Walking sticks and canes provide additional support to people who are able to walk but have trouble with balance and some weight bearing. Typically, canes are used to assist with balance and not used for weight bearing. However, there are some modified base designs of the cane that allow for greater weight bearing with larger bases giving greater support.
Usually, the cane is placed in the opposite hand from the most severely affected leg. It is moved forward at the same time as the opposite leg, providing an extra point of contact in case of balance problems.
Standard wooden canes are lightweight and inexpensive. However, they are not adjustable so must be custom made to the right length. Aluminium canes are generally more expensive but are height adjustable. Both these types of standard canes are useful for people who don’t need to bear a lot of their weight through the upper body. They provide an extra point of contact to assist with balance, which is especially useful for people with vision impairment or balance problems.
Offset canes are most often made from aluminium, and are height adjustable. They are curved to allow the user to bear some weight over the shaft of the cane. This is useful for people who require occasional support with weight bearing due to pain or fatigue.
Some canes have more than one leg. These canes are known as quad canes. Quad canes permit more weight bearing, and can be stood upright on their own when not in use. This allows the user to perform tasks with their hands whilst still having the cane close by if support is needed. One disadvantage of quad canes is that all four of the legs must be in contact with the ground at the same time. Sometimes this can be awkward, particularly on uneven surfaces, or if the user has a reasonably fast walking speed. This problem can be overcome by decreasing the size of the base.
Walk canes or hemi-walkers have a two-legged vertical component with a handle, and another, shorter two-legged component that is angled away from the user. They are ideal for people who need continuous weight bearing with one arm, providing a broader support base than the other cane types (Pedretti 2001; Sloan, Haslam & Foret 2001; Trombly & Radomski 2002; Van Hook, Demonbreun & Weiss 2003) .
Relevant links
References
Pedretti, L. 2001, Occupational Therapy : practice skills for physical dysfunction, Mosby, St Louis.
Sloan, H.L., Haslam, K. & Foret, C. 2001, ‘Teaching the use of Walkers and Canes’, Home Healthcare Nurse, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 241-246.
Trombly, C.A. & Radomski, M.V. 2002, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, 5th edn, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.
Van Hook, F.W., Demonbreun, D. & Weiss, B.D. 2003, ‘Ambulatory Devices for Chronic Gait Disorders in the Elderly’, American Family Physician, vol. 67, no. 8, pp.1717-1724.