Different types of walking canes and their uses

Walking canes are one of the assistive devices that help people in walking and ambulation by improving balance as it increases a person’s base of support. Older people use walking canes for women, and men are used by older people who help walk in a better way. If used suitably, it unloads the leg opposite to the hand the cane is in by 25%, thus allowing optimal healing and keeping the pressure off the injured body parts. 

Your physical therapist should be your go-to person to visit to make sure you have a suitable type of cane. Apart from providing balance support in walking and standing and taking some pressure off one or both legs, canes are also used for inducing a feeling of safety and security while walking.   

Today, there are various types of walking canes for men and women. However, using the right one can bring all the differences between safe and unsafe walking. In any case, each of them helps in solving minor problems of stability, weakness, or balance in the legs or trunks. So, let us find out the different types of walking canes:

Types of canes and their uses

Today, there are different categories of canes available in the market, each offering different types of assistance. In any case, a cane should fit perfectly well with the functional level and your current requirements. Using an incorrect cane can be a reason for the development of poor walking posture and can potentially lead to injury from a fall. Let us discuss each type in brief:

• “C” cane

The C cane is a single straight cane where a curve forms a handle at its top, and it is one of the simplest canes. It helps improve balance and is usually used by the patient whose body needs slight assistance with balance or people who only require minimal unweighting of the opposite leg. You can find a wide variety of walking canes for women and men in various online stores, but you need to find reliable ones.

• The functional grip cane

Functional grip canes have a resemblance to C cane except for the handle part. The former cane doesn’t have a smooth curve like the C cane but features a straight grip handle. Thus, it offers a better grip to the patient, and an improved grip ensures better cane control, thereby offering more support than the C cane. Therefore, these canes are highly suitable for patients whose body demands slightly more balance assistance than the C cane offers. 

• The Hemi walker

The Hemi walker cane is a combination of different features of a quad cane and a walker. The base of Hemi walkers is much larger than the above canes, thus allowing the most patient support. These canes also offer additional lateral support. Patients with more serious hemiplegia or people transitioning from using a walker to a cane will highly benefit from using a Hemi walker.

• Quad cane

A quad cane is characterized by a rectangular base and four small supports connected to the floor. The large base is responsible for more support and is highly useful for patients who need more balance assistance than C cane and functional grip cane. The best thing about these canes is that the user need not set it up against something when not in use. It comes in two varieties based on the size of the rectangle base. Thus, they are categorized as a small base and large base quad canes. 

These are some of the walking canes for men and women. In any case, it is best to size them appropriately. For example, while standing, the arm holding the cane should have a little bend in the elbow. However, if you have any confusion or queries, you can ask your local physical therapist.

Conclusion:

For moving around better, walking with a cane is quite helpful. When you choose a suitable cane for you, you can be sure to safely get around town with minimal to zero risk of injury. However, it is best to conduct an inspection regularly and ensure the cane has a rubber top that acts as a shock absorber and a grip that prevents slipping. Another essential factor that is important to consider is to make sure the walking cane for men and men is at a suitable height in order to avoid bad postures and imbalance. We hope this blog helps you understand canes and their functioning.