Canes & Crutches

A cane or a pair of crutches is usually the first mobility aid anyone owns, and the one most often chosen badly. Height is set wrong, the handle suits the wrong hand, or a single cane is used where the person actually needs two.

Getting the height right

This matters more than anything else on the page, and it takes ten seconds to check.

Stand upright in your usual shoes with your arms hanging relaxed. The top of the cane should sit at the crease of your wrist. Your elbow will then bend about 15 to 20 degrees when you hold it, which is what lets your arm take weight.

Too tall and your shoulder hunches and you cannot push down properly. Too short and you lean forward, which puts your weight in front of your feet, and that is how people fall.

Which hand

The cane goes in the hand opposite the weaker or painful leg, and moves forward at the same time as that leg. Almost everyone gets this wrong at first, and using it on the same side gives very little support.

Choosing a handle

The handle is where your body weight goes, so it matters if you will use the cane all day.

A derby or J handle is the traditional shape and easy to hang over an arm. An offset handle places your weight directly over the shaft, which is more stable and easier on the wrist. An orthopedic handle is shaped to spread pressure across the palm, which suits arthritic hands that cannot grip a narrow handle comfortably.

One point of contact, or four

A standard cane touches the ground at one point. A quad cane has four feet and stands up on its own, giving considerably more support, and it is the step between a cane and a walker.

A small base is easier to place on stairs; a large base gives more stability but needs more floor. If you are unsure, come in and try both.

Crutches

Underarm crutches suit a short-term injury where one leg cannot bear weight. They should never actually rest under the arm, since pressure there can damage nerves. Your hands take the weight and the pads only steady you.

Forearm crutches suit long-term use. They are harder to learn but far kinder to the shoulders and leave your hands freer.

Ontario winters

An ice grip tip that flips down over the rubber is the single most useful accessory we sell between December and March. Worn rubber tips are the other common cause of slips, and they cost very little to replace.

Ask us

Tell us which leg is the problem, how far you walk and whether stairs are involved. We will set the height properly before you leave.