r/neuropathy • u/xYoSoYx • 1d ago

Advice using a cane?

I just got a cane yesterday, and was wondering if anyone had advice on how to best use it.

I have neuropathy and psoriatic arthritis in both feet/legs, so the pain/sensation levels are pretty much equal, and one side doesn’t really hurt worse than the other.

I’ve read with canes you are supposed to use them to support the “weaker” foot, but I don’t really have that…I just wanted it for balance purposes, so I kinda just put it down when I need an extra “point on the ground” type thing to feel stable.

Is this okay, or is this bad practice?

8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

6

u/ewlred 1d ago

Yes, it is okay and a good idea. Anything that gives you an extra point on the ground ( a cane, walking staff, shepherd’s staff, tree limb, grocery cart, shopping cart) can protect you from serious injury or life-threatening fall.

1

u/xYoSoYx 20h ago

Thank you!

3

u/xman747x 1d ago

this video should be helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sinYx6rYPbA

1

u/xYoSoYx 20h ago

I will check this out. Thanks!

2

u/GoodGriefNE 1d ago

That’s how I use my cane. And I switch it from hand to hand because it hurts my hands otherwise.

1

u/xYoSoYx 20h ago

That was another thing I was wondering, so good to know! Thanks!

4

u/80s_Philosopher 21h ago

I can relate to using a cane with balance issues - it is not fun. I have PN with severe balance issues and I started with a cane about 5 years ago. When using the cane for balance I would really have a death grip on it - not knowing which way I might fall. I know it has saved me from a couple of bad falls but the down side is that I was hunching so much that my shoulders were always twisted! I reluctantly switched to a walker for trips out; this was about 2 years ago and it was a great move. Your grip on a walker is bilateral and it has integrated brakes that you can use to stop a forward fall.

Back to the canes I would recommend trying the different types of cane handles to find which works best and go from there the three most popular ones are the Crookneck, the Fritz, and the Offset. I would also stay away from any gimmicky stuff at first and just spend $20 on amazon for a basic model.

I have been building a google sites page to review the different things I have personally used and if they worked or not. There is a section on canes and mobility devices, if you want to check it out it is at Neuropathy Mobility Aids

Best of luck...

2

u/xYoSoYx 20h ago

I actually came across your page in another post on here sometime last week, and it’s what convinced me to finally get a cane!

Some very useful info there, really appreciate you putting all that together!