Feeling dependent on others to move from one place to another can be mentally as well as physically straining. Most of the time it's either after small knee/leg surgery or an injury or due to old age. In such scenarios, walking sticks or any other mobility aids can provide better stability and balance.

 

Pro tip: Using a walking stick on the strong side of your body shifts your weight to the stronger side which makes it easier to move freely.

 

For the right support and balance, it is important to invest in the right kind of walking stick as well. Before choosing, you need to consider factors like stick's height, your weight, type of your injury, your requirement, etc.

 

So, in this article, we'll explain some important factors to consider while choosing the walking stick.

 

Choosing the Right Type of Stick:

 

Single Point Sticks

 

This type of sticks has a single support point at the end. They are the most common type of walking cane available in the market to provide balance while walking. People also use them as hiking poles, pilgrim's staff, etc. for trekking and hiking purpose. So, if you have minimum requirements of walking aid, then this can be your best match.

 

Multiple-point Sticks

 

This includes quad, tripod, and other multiple point sticks. These sticks having several points provide better support and balance than a single point stick. If you need assistance with stability and balancing than these can provide the highest level of support. Also, the large base quad stick is helpful for those who need extra stability with a wider area of support.

 

Folding Sticks

 

Folding sticks are the single point sticks that you can fold. These come in handy when you want to store them away while not in use. You can easily carry them anywhere in a handbag as well. These sticks can be your support on the go.

 

Sticks with Seats

 

These are medical-grade sticks with seats to provide sturdy support and help you move around easily. You can unfold them whenever you need to rest and sit down.

 

The Height

 

If the stick is not of the correct height, the support that you should get from it might not be ideal.

 

Here is how you can measure the correct height for your stick:

 

- Avoid wearing heightened footwear when determining the measurement.

- Use a wall for support and to stand straight.

- Ask someone to assist you with the measurements.

- Measure the distance from the ground up to your wrist bone

 

Then comes The Handles

 

The common materials used in handles are foam, rubber, plastic, and wood. If you are looking for a sustainable solution, then wood and plastic are better choices than foam. However, if you are experiencing pain in your hand than the foam or rubber can provide more comfort.

 

Another tip is that the size of the handle should support your overall body weight. Users with joint pain can prefer a handle with a larger grip. The right sized handle also helps in relaxing your overall body and prevent joint deformities.

 

Here are the types:

 

Crook:

Its rounded handle that allows plenty of space to find the most comfortable position. It also makes it easier to hook over the arm or other places. It can be convenient when opening doors, entering into lifts, and other similar situations.

 

T-handle:

Users with weakness in their hands can benefit a lot from this type of handle. They reduce stress and hand fatigue.

 

Fritz:

 

These sticks are similar to T-handle sticks but come with an extra curve. It provides better comfort to users and reduces hand pressure. Also, it is among the most used handles for walking sticks. People consider using it because of its style and it is a boon for people with arthritis.

 

Offset:

 

These are the sticks question mark shape handle. It distributes the user's weight over the body of the stick to provide better support. If you have wrist problems or have problems holding the cane with firm grip, then this is the best match for your needs. Although almost all the type of quad sticks are available in this type of handle.

 

Don't forget the Tip

The tips at the end of the walking sticks are usually of rubber and are on the bottom of the stick. It absorbs the weight of the user and grips the floor well.

 

There are two types of tips available:

 

Single Tip: It helps the user maintaining the balance and suitable for those who need less pressure on their legs while walking.

 

The Quadruple Tip: The sticks with this kind of tips can handle more bodyweight. So, if you have severe pain problems in your legs or joints then prefer using sticks with quadruple tips.

 

Bottom Line

Mobility aids are to reduce your discomfort. But when you choose the wrong type, it might increase your pain. Hence, make sure to consider all these aspects in your checklist and seek a professional's advice in case of any specific problems.

I love how K is picking these books about insects, we get to learn a bit more about them than what we knew before.

With Walking Stick we got to learn their defense mechanism, how they are born and what the eggs look like and so much more. 

Did you know that the eggs look like plant seeds? Totally didn't know that, makes me want to go out and search on the ground for seeds. 

Did you also know that walking sticks could hurt a tree by eating too many leaves, never would have thought that.

K did a good job reading this book to me and he thought that walking sticks were really cool. The pictures are great to look at and make you really see what a true walking stick looks like. And not all walking sticks are the same color I thought they were either brown or green but no there are different ones.

This book is filled with so much information that it is fun to read and not boring. 

The only reason I gave this book a 4 star rating is because it repeated a part that was already mentioned in the book.

The Walking-Stick Forest was dark, but the darkness is subdued a bit by the lyrical imagery this story is littered with. There are lots of terrible things hidden behind pretty words.

This didn't feel as much like a story to me as it did a series of inter-connecting scenes.

The beginning of the story tells the history of Farquar and his forest, and how his walking sticks came to be highly sought after. And then there was insta-love, completely out of nowhere. Then there was a revenge plot. And then there was...cringe-worthy death and mutilation while the main character drinks tea?

There's a note at the start of the short that reads:

Like some other stories published on Tor.com, “The Walking-Stick Forest” contains scenes and situations some readers will find upsetting and/or repellent. [—The Editors]

You don't scare me, story!

...actually, I'm kind of surprised I didn't cringe at the end. The descriptions got kind of intense.

Oh, this is lovely, like its cover. Dark. Creepy. Intrinsically violent, but beautifully so.

Farquar is a complex character. He evidently lives in the centre of a world of his own making. At one point I thought he could be kind. The next I thought he was a black-hearted scoundrel, with a soul as dark as his precious walking-stick forest at night. It's a cycle repeated several times over.

About the girl, though :

What's with the insta-love???

(spoiler show)

 

Her name is Rose. She has a history that is only implied at. It's one of the several scenes mentioned in Editor's Note for which a trigger warning is necessary. Speaking of which, people who are easily triggered by acts of violent and descriptions of assassinations, no matter how beautifully/artfully executed, should avoid this novelette, because Farquar and Hannibal Lecter could sit at a table in a room of sweet-smelling flowers and drink tea together.

 

 Story could be found at Tor here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/05/the-walking-stick-forest-anna-tambour

Gabriel Lacey is always an enjoyable character, but these two short stories sometimes fall into the telling, rather than showing, category.