What kind of stick?

[MaryRH]

Can anyone give advice on what kind of walking stick to try? I have SCA and I’m pretty wobbly but walk unaided but for my kid’s buggy I’ve sprained my foot however, not badly enough to warrant medical attention but enough to make me stagger a whole lot more. This morning I nearly fell onto someone’s mobility scooter because it took my surprise and I turned around without moving my feet, and in not injuring the person in the buggy I put all my weight in the sprain (ouch...) so I wonder whether temporarily I should have a stick when I don’t have the buggy. I don’t know where to start. There are some really reasonable ones available - is there any need to shell out a lot for one?

[violasrbest]

I have a HurryCane from Lloyd's the Chemist. I believe you can get a torch in them now and I will probably go for that next time.

[Veteran250]

Hello Mary.

I normally use an electric wheelchair when out and about, but if I have to use my stick, I use the old fashion stick with the handle that curves over at the top...: I find this stick the most comfortable for me, but of course we are all different, find a store that sells a variety of sticks to find one that suits you...... when you buy something, it is said, you get what you pay for.... so check out the sticks carefully! 😀👍

[wobblybee]

🥴 I fractured one of my ankles and until I could weight bear I relied on my rollator to hobble around the house.

But generally I use a walking stick, or rollator, outdoors for safety. For one thing it makes others aware of a difficulty, and nine times out of ten, people will be courteous.

I bought my walking stick ‘off the peg’. It’s height adjustable, and I prefer it to one of those grey ‘hospital issue types’ (which I’ve tried), because that type makes an annoying clicking noise with every step😬

Look for one that has a sturdy ferrule 🙂

How to Choose a Walking Stick

Put on the user's walking shoes.

Have the user stand naturally upright as much as possible.

Have their arms fall to the sides naturally with a normal relaxed bend at the elbow. ( ...

Using a tape measure, measure the distance from their wrist joint (bottom crease at the wrist) down to the floor.

[Iain-FB in reply to wobblybee]

"Look for one that has a sturdy ferrule".

A million times this. It is THE most important consideration.

And remember to replace when worn-down <- message for EVERYONE who uses a stick.

[pinjem]

Leki poles, height can be changed. It also depends on how you move and your needs, two will not stop me falling over unless moving at speed when all they do is show me where to head and where upright is.! I did consider getting a four footed stick, a long one to plant onto the ground and hang onto but again, that may not help you?

[MaryRH]

Thanks you Pinjem, that’s helpful. I already use Leki style poles for Nordic walking (not that I’m doing that at the moment...) You’re right, I probably need to use those when I’m just out and about normally, and I’ll think about the other suggestions for something a bit less ‘nordic’ if the staggering persists!

[Ayeshaabeer20]

I dont use anything as its my initial stage but you can use a metal stick which contains 3 or 4 wheels it will even not look odd☺

[ddmagee1]

What helps me the most, is a rubber tipped, three prong collapsible cane. It helps with traction, and stability, especially if I am a bit wobbly.

[DeniseLB]

I had physio to teach me how to walk again! Invaluable actually and I settled on a crutch, as one, I kept dropping the stick and two I have a lot of trouble with my hands so it hurt a lot to use the stick. If you haven’t already had any you should be entitled to physio and I paid nothing for the crutches and they gave me two and they will teach you how to use them properly. I settled on just using the one. They are the rubbered ended ones that come half way up the arm and I don’t drop it!

Also, people do tend to move out of the way for you, but I did get asked the other day “has your leg not got better yet!” I got fed up a while ago of trying to explain Ataxia so I just say yeah! xx

[PatsyIpswich]

my first useful tip from reading ataxia websites was to use a stick to warn people not to bump into me. I asked at GP surgery UK to consult physio and they gave me one, measured to my height. If you find yourself leaning on it, refer to physio as they recommend two sticks for better posture or walking canes.

[Litty]

We are all so different but this is my story x

I now use a walker but before I used 1 nordic pole then 2. Both extended to maximum to keep me as up right as possible so if the ground was uneven the poles were at the right height. my neuro-physio nagged me to use poles not sticks x

[MaryRH in reply to Litty]

Why poles not sticks? Thanks!

[Litty in reply to MaryRH]

Keep me upright x

[GLBLWK_SCA6]

I initially used a cane and even though it was set at the right height I found I had to lean a bit forward which caused me to stumble. A physiotherapist recommended I use special walking poles called The Activator from urbanpoling.com/. They help with balance and motor coordination. I purchased them because I want to take longer walks and go for light treks through the countryside. Here is a youtube video to show you the difference between using the poles vs a walker. It shows how the pole helps a person walk more upright.

youtube.com/watch?v=CDhDahn...(Not working as expected?)