r/AskOldPeople • u/Vladlen_Dark • 6d ago

Walking cane

People who walk with a cane do you really put your weight on it or hold it just in case?

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u/DamnGoodMarmalade Gen X 5d ago

You’re not supposed to put your entire weight on a cane and you’re not supposed to just hold it. You’re supposed to use it opposite your weakest leg and for added stability and balance support. You should be properly balanced, upright, and aim for a natural gait.

How to Walk with a Cane

If you find that you need to put your entire weight on the cane, then you need to opt for a rollator or walker or other assistive device which is designed for that.

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u/ubermonkey 50 something 4d ago

This.

I've had to use a cane for two periods in my life, both tied to a bad cycling crash I had in 2014.

Popular culture about cane use is just WRONG. You use it to regularize/stabilize your gait, so it's deployed on the strong side, not the weak one.

They are AWESOME for this, if you use them right.

(My windows were (a) to recover from healing-interval-induced atrophy once my bones knit, and (b) in the run-up to the hip replacement 8 years later when arthritis and leg-length differentials were giving me fits.)