There are a lot of people in the United States who suffer from limited mobility. More then 70% of all people who use mobility devices use decorative walking canes. That translates into 4.8 million cane users. As we age, more and more of us need help with mobility. Nearly one quarter of all older adults will experience at lease one fall this year. More than half of these falls will take place inside the home. Falls send at least two million older Americans to the emergency room every year.
The good news for people who need to use a cane or walking stick is that there are so many out there to pick from that it is almost totally guaranteed that if you look around, you will find one that fits your taste and your lifestyle. There are a number of materials you can pick from and the number of styles and colors are only increasing.
Decorative walking canes can help prevent falls because they help with people’s balance issues. The two main reasons older Americans fall are dizziness and unsteadiness. A good cane can reduce the amount of weight you put on your hips, knees and legs making falling less of a possibility. There are things you can do to have a better experience with a walking cane.
- Get the right kind of cane. There are different kinds of decorative walking canes. It all comes down to what kind of support you need to not fall. Your cane can come with one tip, which works well for people who suffer from simple osteoarthritis. You can also get a cane with four tips if you suffer from neurological problems and need to put more weight on your cane. If you find you have a hard time standing for any length of time, you may think about stick seat canes. These have a seat you can use when you are waiting in line.
- Get the right fit for your cane. If you do not get the cane with the best fit for you, can end up sore and unhappy at the end of the day. Make sure you wear the kind of shoes you will be wearing most often when you are out and about. Hold your head up high and place your arms down at your sides. The curve of the cane handle, also called the top, should meet the crease of your wrist. If it goes above that point, it will not provide you with the support you need. If it is too far below that point, you will slouch over. If you wear shoes with different heights, you may want to look for adjustable heights or you may want to get more than one.
- Learn how to use your cane. When people have decorative walking canes, they may still not know how to use them. There are two different kinds of uses for walking sticks. Waking on straight land and walking up and down stairs. Here are some tips for both:
- Walking usage: It is a common thing for people to put their cane in the hand of their weaker leg. That may make sense but it is not the way functional canes are meant to be used. Hold your cane with your stronger side’s hand and put weight down it when you put weight on the weaker side. This is the most effective way to balance your weight. You should move your cane with the same speed you use for your leg.
- Stair usage. When you are going up the stairs. lead with your good leg. You should then bring up your bad leg and the cane. When you are descending the stairs, lead with your weaker leg and cane and then bring down your stronger leg.
- Get a cane you like. There are so many styles of canes that you can find one you like. If you do not like the way it looks, you will not use it and it will do you absolutely no good.
There are a great number of reasons to start using decorative walking canes. They can let you move around as you like while keeping you safe.
