Patient/caregiver was educated on measures to choose/adjust the cane to appropriate height, grip, and base support as follows:
- Stand upright against a wall wearing your regular walking shoes, with hands falling on the sides freely.
- Take the measurement from the floor to the wrist of the hand you plan to hold the cane with.
- Alternatively, you can choose to stand upright against a wall wearing your regular walking shoes, with hands falling on the sides freely.
- You can choose a cane or adjust the height of cane such that the top of the cane should be level with the wrist of hand you plan to hold the cane. Another measure could be the top of the cane level with the hip bone on the side.
- This number plus or minus an inch is the about height of the cane you will be comfortable with. So, using a cane with adjustable height is advantageous, as it can allow some room to play around.
- Standing upright, holding a cane of appropriate height in your hand with the cane parallel to your legs, your elbow should make an angle of about 15 – 20 degrees.
- Canes can come with detachable handles. Handles of various contours, such as, ribbed handles, padded or foam handles can be fixed on the standard cane to enhance the grip in individuals with limitations.
- Standard canes also come with detachable bases and a broad base with four legs could be fixed on the regular standard cane, thus converting it into a quad cane. With bigger base and four legs, quad canes offer more support for individuals with compromised balance and needing more support than a what a standard cane offers.
