Which side do you hold a cane on?

The side opposite the weaker or painful leg. If your left hip or knee is the problem, hold the cane in your right hand. The cane moves forward together with the weaker leg, so the cane and the good arm share the work of the weak side. Holding it on the same side as the injury is the most common mistake and it actually makes walking less stable.

How tall should a cane be?

Stand upright in your usual shoes with your arms relaxed at your sides. The top of the handle should reach the crease on the inside of your wrist. When you grip the handle, your elbow should have a slight bend of about 15 to 20 degrees. A cane that is too tall pushes your shoulder up and strains the wrist; one that is too short makes you lean and stoop.

Does using a cane prevent falls?

A properly fitted cane used correctly reduces fall risk by adding a third point of contact and offloading a painful joint. But a cane at the wrong height, on the wrong side, or with a worn tip can increase fall risk. And a cane cannot fix a true balance disorder; if balance is the main problem, ask a doctor or physiotherapist whether a walker is the safer tool.

When should someone switch from a cane to a walker?

Warning signs include gripping furniture or walls even while using the cane, near-falls or falls with the cane in hand, needing two hands to feel steady, or fear of walking in open spaces. Any of these is a sign to ask for a mobility assessment. In Ontario, a physiotherapist or occupational therapist assessment can be arranged through your doctor or Ontario Health atHome at 310-2222, and it also unlocks Assistive Devices Program funding for a walker.

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Step-by-step guide · 7 minute read

How to Use a Cane the Right Way: Height, Which Side, and Walking

Most people hold the cane on the wrong side or at the wrong height. The correct fit, the correct side, and the walking pattern, with diagrams.

The short version

Hold the cane in the hand OPPOSITE your weaker or painful leg, and move it forward together with the weaker leg.
With your arm hanging relaxed at your side, the handle should line up with the crease of your wrist, leaving a slight bend in the elbow.
A cane used wrong increases fall risk instead of lowering it, so a five-minute check by a physiotherapist is worth arranging.

The steps at a glance

Set the height. Stand tall in your everyday shoes with arms relaxed at your sides. Adjust the cane so the handle lines up with the crease of your wrist. When you hold it, your elbow should bend slightly, about 15 to 20 degrees.
Choose the correct side. Hold the cane in the hand opposite your weaker or painful leg. If your right knee is the bad one, the cane goes in your left hand.
Move the cane with the weaker leg. Move the cane forward at the same time as your weaker leg, then step past both with your stronger leg. The cane and the weak leg share the load together.
Keep the cane close. Plant the tip about 5 centimetres to the side of your foot, not far out in front. Reaching ahead with the cane pulls you off balance.
Check the rubber tip monthly. A worn, smooth, or cracked rubber tip slips. Replacement tips cost a few dollars at any pharmacy. Check it the way you would check tires.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Bodies and situations differ; a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can check technique and equipment for your exact needs, often at no cost through your doctor or Ontario Health atHome (310-2222).

Why most people use a cane wrong

Nobody teaches this. A cane arrives from the pharmacy or a relative's closet, it gets held in whichever hand feels natural, at whatever height it came, and that is that. Physiotherapists estimate that most self-taught cane users get at least one of the three basics wrong: the height, the side, or the timing. Each mistake quietly makes walking harder and less safe, which is the opposite of what the cane is for.

The good news is that all three basics take about ten minutes to learn, and the difference is immediate: less wrist and shoulder pain, a straighter back, and a steadier walk.

Step 1: Set the height to your wrist crease

Stand tall in the shoes you actually wear, arms hanging relaxed at your sides. Have someone stand the cane beside you: the top of the handle should line up with the crease on the inside of your wrist. When you then grip the handle, your elbow bends slightly, about 15 to 20 degrees. That slight bend is what lets your arm push down on the cane without hiking your shoulder.

The fit test: stand tall, arms relaxed at your sides. The top of the handle should line up with the crease of your wrist.

Too tall, and your shoulder rides up while your wrist bends backward, which is where cane-related wrist pain comes from. Too short, and you stoop toward it, throwing your weight forward. Most drugstore canes adjust with a push button and a locking collar; set it once, tighten the collar, and check it again if you change footwear styles.

Step 2: Hold it on the side OPPOSITE the weaker leg

This is the one that surprises everyone. The cane goes in the hand opposite the painful or weak leg. Bad right knee, cane in the left hand. It feels wrong for about five minutes, and then it feels obviously right.

The cane goes in the hand OPPOSITE the weaker leg, and moves forward together with the weaker leg.

The reason is how walking works: when your weak leg steps forward and takes weight, the opposite arm swings forward naturally. Putting the cane in that opposite hand means the cane hits the ground exactly when the weak leg needs help, sharing the load between the cane and the leg. On the same side, the cane and the weak leg are never on the ground together at the right moment, so your body lurches from one to the other.

Step 3: Move the cane and the weaker leg together

The walking pattern is simple: cane and weaker leg swing forward together, land together, and then the stronger leg steps past them. Cane and weak leg, then strong leg. That is the whole rhythm.

Keep the tip close, planted about a hand's width to the side of your foot, not stretched out ahead. Reaching far forward with the cane feels safer but actually pulls your body off balance and loads the wrist. Small steps, cane close, eyes ahead rather than on your feet.

The five-second maintenance habit

The rubber tip is the cane's tire, and a worn tip on a wet tile floor is a genuine hazard. Flip the cane over once a month: if the tread is smooth, cracked, or the rubber has hardened, replace it. Tips cost a few dollars at any pharmacy and press on by hand. In winter, a flip-down ice pick attachment turns the same cane into a winter cane; our guide to walking on ice and snow covers winter gear properly.

When a cane is the wrong tool

A cane offloads a sore joint and adds one point of steadiness. It cannot fix a real balance disorder, and asking it to is how people get hurt. Watch for these signs that the situation has outgrown the cane: still grabbing furniture and walls while using it, near-falls with the cane in hand, or needing two hands to feel safe. Any of those means it is time for a proper mobility assessment, which in Ontario is free through your doctor or Ontario Health atHome at 310-2222, and which also unlocks 75 percent ADP funding toward a walker if that is the recommendation.

And one honest word for the person who has the cane but leaves it at home: using a cane in public is not an announcement of decline. Falling in public is. The cane is how you keep the Saturday market, the church aisle, and the grandchildren's driveway.

Common questions

Which side do you hold a cane on?: The side opposite the weaker or painful leg. If your left hip or knee is the problem, hold the cane in your right hand. The cane moves forward together with the weaker leg, so the cane and the good arm share the work of the weak side. Holding it on the same side as the injury is the most common mistake and it actually makes walking less stable.
How tall should a cane be?: Stand upright in your usual shoes with your arms relaxed at your sides. The top of the handle should reach the crease on the inside of your wrist. When you grip the handle, your elbow should have a slight bend of about 15 to 20 degrees. A cane that is too tall pushes your shoulder up and strains the wrist; one that is too short makes you lean and stoop.
Does using a cane prevent falls?: A properly fitted cane used correctly reduces fall risk by adding a third point of contact and offloading a painful joint. But a cane at the wrong height, on the wrong side, or with a worn tip can increase fall risk. And a cane cannot fix a true balance disorder; if balance is the main problem, ask a doctor or physiotherapist whether a walker is the safer tool.
When should someone switch from a cane to a walker?: Warning signs include gripping furniture or walls even while using the cane, near-falls or falls with the cane in hand, needing two hands to feel steady, or fear of walking in open spaces. Any of these is a sign to ask for a mobility assessment. In Ontario, a physiotherapist or occupational therapist assessment can be arranged through your doctor or Ontario Health atHome at 310-2222, and it also unlocks Assistive Devices Program funding for a walker.

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