Walking Stick Assessment

Walking Sticks, All You Need To Know

It is a good idea when measuring up the length of walking stick you require to have someone with you to help.
Considering body size while measuring for a walking cane is the key to better mobility and safe use. Canes are not meant to bear the full amount of weight that you put on your legs, as is a crutch, but are helpful in providing extra balance.

To find the right length of cane for a specific user:

1. Make sure you are wearing your normal walking shoes.
2. Stand naturally upright as you usually do.
3. Let your arms fall to the side, with the normal, relaxed bend at the elbow.
4. Now is where the other person comes in. Have them use a tape measure to measure the distance from your wrist joint (the bottom crease of your wrist) down to the floor.

You can estimate the right measuring for a walking cane, however it is always best to measure exactly as everyones body is slightly different. For almost everyone, the perfect size for a cane will be within one inch of half their height. This of course isn’t the most correct way of measuring for a walking cane, but is rather a rough estimate. Keep in mind that the cane can always be shortened, but never made longer.

So, for example, a 5’8” person has a height of 68 inches. Divide that in half = 34 inches. So the estimated measuring for a walking cane that would fit that person is 34 inches.

Where two walking sticks are needed, the length should be slightly longer as they will be used ahead of the body when walking.