Everyone can face the need to use additional devices for walking. This may be necessary after an injury to the lower extremities, with diseases of the joints, impaired coordination of movements. In mild cases of such pathologies, when a person has preserved walking functions, but he needs support, a support cane is used. Previously, such a device was more common. The cane was a symbol of prestige and respectability, but now with a wand you can meet mostly old or disabled people.
general characteristics
The supporting cane serves as a support for the upright position of a person with a violation of the functions of one of the lower extremities. It helps to avoid falling and injuries when walking. Unlike crutches, a cane does not completely remove the load from the limbs. The main function of such an orthopedic device is to provide the patient with comfortable movement after operations or injuries, as well as in violation of walking functions for other reasons. A cane in this case becomes an additional support, allowing you to transfer part of the body weight from a sore leg.
In addition, such devices are used by the visually impaired. They allow you to avoid falling and injuries, as they are designed to feel the road in front of you. Such canes are usually white in color, which makes it possible for a car driver to see a disabled person from afar. In addition, men's support canes can be attributed to a separate group. Although now they are not so common, it used to be fashionable even healthy young people to walk with such a device.
What is the supporting cane used for?
This orthopedic device is designed to redistribute the load with various pathologies of one limb, as well as to maintain balance. Support canes are used for walking by elderly people, people with disabilities. For various injuries during the recovery period, they are recommended after crutches.
Indications for the use of a supporting cane are the following conditions:
- rehabilitation period after a bone fracture or dislocation of the joints of the leg;
- arthrosis, arthritis, osteoporosis of the lower extremities;
- impaired coordination of movements in various vascular or neurological pathologies;
- in old age with general weakness and impaired limb function;
- after a stroke;
- visually impaired people;
- to prevent falling when walking in icy conditions or on slippery surfaces.
Varieties of canes
Now on sale you can find many different orthopedic devices to support walking.
- The most common are ordinary wooden sticks. They have a straight shape, a T-shaped handle and a plastic or rubber tip. Most often, they are chosen by older people, as they are the cheapest.
- Adjustable support cane is very convenient if you need to use it for a long time. After all, the height of this device should be selected taking into account the height of the heels. And in the winter and in the summer, the sole of the shoe is usually different.
- Telescopic walking sticks or folding canes are suitable for more active patients. For example, if you often have to travel by car, public transport. They are easy to fold and hide in a bag.
- Walking sticks with three or four legs are more stable and well suited for people with obesity or impaired limb function.
- The male support cane may differ from the others in a bizarre shape, a beautiful curved handle. Such products are most often not intended to support the body, but are used as a symbol of respectability. They are usually heavier, their weight can reach 700 grams.
How to choose the right
Like any orthopedic device, the supporting cane must be selected individually. There are several criteria for choosing a walking cane. If they are not observed, she will not be able to protect a person from injuries, and besides, it can cause additional problems.
- First of all, the cane should fit in height. Only then can she fulfill her functions. If the cane is higher than necessary, a large load will fall on hand, and with a very low location, a person will have to hunch.
- An important criterion is also the strength of the material. Previously, wooden canes were more popular, but for some patients they are considered heavy. In this case, you can choose a stick of aluminum, it is light and durable.
- The shape of the handle should be comfortable so that there is no fatigue of the hand.
- It is very important that the weight of the cane does not cause additional problems. Usually it weighs from 100 to 400 grams. Support canes for women should be easier so that the arm does not get tired.
- For many patients, the appearance of the cane is also decisive. This is especially true for young people who need to use this device after an injury.
Cane height
The main criterion for choosing a cane should be its length. It is difficult to pick her up without the person who will walk with her. The height of the supporting cane depends not only on the height of the person. It is important to consider the length of his arms, as well as whether he is hunched over when walking.
When choosing a cane, you need to try on. A person should be near her, bend his arm at the elbow by 15-20 degrees. In this case, the wrist should lie flat on the handle. If, in order to lean on a cane, a person has to bend over, then it is very low. In this case, it will not perform its functions, creating an additional burden on the wrist and spine. Too high a cane causes a person to bend, raising his hand, which is also inconvenient.
What should be the handle
Its shape is an important criterion for choosing this device. And it is not only a matter of beauty, for the hilt used to be a cane decoration, often being a work of art. But now it’s more important that it is comfortable. If the pen is not selected correctly, pain in the wrist and wrist joint may occur.
It is best to choose a cane with an anatomically shaped handle that follows the contours of the palm. For someone it will be more convenient to have a large handle, voluminous, other people are more comfortable leaning if it is small. The main thing is that the brush is located on it freely. The shape of the arms may be different. In addition to the most common, they can be in the form of a swan neck, beak or hook.
The material from which the handle is made is also important. It should not cause allergies, slip. It is best that the material is pleasant to the touch. Most often, reed sticks are made of medical plastic, sometimes made of wood.
The supporting surface of the cane
Most often, such devices are in the form of a flat stick. But below the required tip, increasing the strength of the cane and its stability. The shape and material of the tip must be selected depending on the purpose and time of use of the cane. The most common are tips made of plastic or durable rubber. They do not slip, light. To walk in ice, you need to choose a cane with a sharp tip.
For people with impaired walking functions, being overweight, and also after operations and injuries, such devices with an increased number of legs are recommended. There can be 3 or 4. This does not make the cane heavier, but makes it more stable. In addition, the tip may have a square or pyramidal shape.
How to check a cane when buying
In order for this device to perform its functions correctly, you need to buy it in the presence of the person who will use it. This is necessary so that he can “try on” a cane, try to walk with it. How to choose a cane:
- the person should be in the shoes in which he most often walks;
- if the cane will be used for a long time, and in winter and summer shoes the patient has heels of different heights, it is advisable to purchase two canes;
- when choosing, you need to focus on the purpose of using this device;
- it is important to pay attention to the tip - for people with severely impaired walking functions it is better to choose a more stable one, for example black cheater;
- the cane needs to be tried on: the patient should become as he usually walks, bend his arm slightly at the elbow, while the hand should comfortably lie on the handle of the cane, which is standing directly on the floor.
Walking sticks for the elderly
Many old people, due to muscle weakness and the occurrence of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system, cannot move normally. A cane will help them to maintain balance and to avoid falling. Since such a device is used in this case constantly, you need to choose it more carefully.
It’s best to buy a cane for the elderly with a non-slip device and a comfortable grip. The old man should like it, although most often they prefer ordinary wooden models. You must also pay attention to the tip. It should not slide on any surface, if it is rubber, then it should not leave marks on the floor.
Walking sticks
These are the so-called tactile canes. They are not intended for support, but to facilitate spatial orientation for patients with vision loss. They are mainly made of aluminum, as their feature is that the disabled person constantly keeps her weight, feeling the road and various objects. Such a cane necessarily has a loop on the wrist to prevent the loss of the device.
A feature of the canes for the visually impaired is their color. Usually they are white, noticeable from afar. In addition, the tip of her can be of different shapes. In addition to the usual cylindrical or in the form of a pencil, it can be spinning, in the form of a small or large ball.
How to walk with a cane
It is not enough to choose such a device; you still need to learn how to walk with it. There are some rules that will help you get used to the cane:
- move carefully, always look under your feet, especially if there are carpets, bumps or steps on the floor;
- try not to walk on the wet floor, even with a cane;
- when moving up the stairs with one hand, be sure to hold onto the railing;
- shoes should be worn comfortable, on a small heel, and best of all - on a flat sole;
- when moving the cane should not be held next to a sore foot, but on the opposite side;
- the wand moves simultaneously with a sore foot.
To walk comfortably with a cane you need to learn. But with the right choice, it helps maintain balance and protects against falling. This is a real salvation for people with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.