Avoid more pain: How to Walk with A Cane the RIGHT WAY

One of the biggest mistakes I see as a physical therapist involves how to walk with a cane. Many people aren't told how to do it and can end up in more pain or with more difficulty.

The most important aspects to look at when looking at how to walk with a cane correctly is to look at the SIZE and the HAND PLACEMENT. Walking with a cane that is too short or too high can lead to joint pain and more stress to the shoulders. If you use the cane in the wrong hand, you may feel unbalanced and could be at risk for a fall.

A cane can be very helpful if you are experiencing arthritis pain, have had a recent surgery, or are requiring more support when walking.

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Disclaimer: This post is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Kuhn and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Move Well Age Well, LLC and Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, PT, DPT are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any conclusions drawn, services or product you obtain through this post, video or site. Complete all exercises at your own risk.

[sallielesage]

My cane height was too high (of course!) I shortened the length to my wrist crease and it seems to work so much better. Thank you!

[susanfisher]

I watch a lot of how--to films. Your cane instruction is PERFECT. You are a natural teacher! Thank you very much.

[tombrunila]

The arm holding the cane should be nearly straight, a straight arm supports more weight with less effort. I have been using canes and different types of crutches since the beginning of the 1970's.

[catherineadamson]

This is great - I have been telling people this since I started walking with a stick (I’m from the UK, so not a cane!). My physical therapist gave me this advice and it has proved to be totally beneficial.

[mikeg.]

After having suffered through a painful knee injury and having experimented with the use of a cane through it, I am completely convinced that the common advice to use the cane on the opposite side from the injured leg is completely wrong. Using it on the same side as the injured leg takes much more pressure off of the injured leg from my own personal experience. I think the common wisdom of using the cane opposite the injured leg is like using leeches being the common advice in the middle ages, or thinking that the jury system is a good practice.

[YoruMochizuki]

I've recently been losing my ability to walk without painkillers (doctors are still trying to find the issue) due to severe muscle and nerve pain in the hips and overall legs. I was scared to start using a cane, because it felt like if I did, Id be admitting a loss of autonomy due to how hard it felt to use. Ive realized now Ive been using a cane completely wrong, and now I feel like I have more pain-stamina (if thay makes sense lol) to do more things! Thank you so much for this tutorial ❤❤❤

[carolinejohn]

Excellent video as always. Thanks so much Alyssa 💟

[EggTriangleTriangle]

Thanks for this! My pain doctor advised me to bring a cane with me to the conference I'll be attending in a few days, so I don't have time to get a lesson from my PT before I go. This really helped!

[petegriffiths]

Thank you very much and very helpful 😊

[davidk]

Hi Alyssa ... transitioning from my walker to the cane now after left hip replacement ... great instruction and tips ... your the best !

[rcxtrsr]

All your videos are really helpful...thanks so much!!❤

[djack]

Very nice job explaining how to size and properly use a cane!

[chaisorrowscfs]

Thank you <3 this makes me feel safe as a 25 yr old with me/cfs just getting a cane

[shelbylou]

Thank you Alyssa! I was using my cane all wrong. Now I'll have to retrain myself. 😂
My right leg is affected so right now the cane in my left feels odd. But thats bc ive been holding it with my right side for 5 months.
Tfs!

[dondromano]

Wow, I never knew. Thank you for the information.

[havfunwithit]

I was doing it wrong but it still took pressure off the bad leg. Had no problem doing it that way. This makes no sense. I’m waiting for a hip replacement, it’s bone on bone. How does holding the cane on my left hip help my right? I have no problem with balance. I’m sure she’s right and I’ll try it. But it makes no sense.

[chrisconnors]

This is good to know. There’s a cane in my near future because osteoarthritis is now setting into one hip; possible hip replacement needed in a few years too but I’m hoping I can avoid that with lots of cycling (did wonders for both arthritic knees and the doc cancelled the surgery on the worst knee when he saw how I was doing—that was 8 yrs ago and so far so good). Fingers crossed (they’re not arthritic yet :).

[laurabell]

Thank you, I am recovering from a tick bite illness (so far neg for lyme) but now have a large Baker's Cyst on one knee and possibly a meniscus tear on the other (waiting on confirmation) so both knees in pain. I have started using a cane and noticed my shoulder hurting lately. Now I know to adjust my cane length better.

[RobertJonesWightpaint]

I've got problems on both sides - an old back injury leading to a deformation in the lumbar spine, and a degree of arthritis in both hips. But you can adjust for that, without having to use two sticks: unfortunately, I nearly always use my stick/cane in the wrong hand; I'm right-side dominant, the bulk of the damage is on my right side - and yet, over the years since I sustained the accident which badly cracked my back, I've got used to holding the stick in the right hand and find it just about impossible to break the habit: especially since I broke my left wrist, which now locks Sheesh, what a mess I am!

[phyllismonroe]

Thank you for this video and it's clear presentation. I wish I knew how to use a cane years ago when I first started to need assistance. Maybe I wouldn't have injured myself even more.