The CORRECT Way to Use a CANE After Knee Replacement Surgery
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- čas přidán 3. 12. 2020
- Knee to Know Ep. 117
Many individuals will leave the hospital after surgery with some sort of assistive device such as a rolling walker, crutches, or a cane. For those who start with a walker or crutches, often progress to using a cane and then potentially walking with no assistive device.
This video discusses how to appropriately fit the cane to the right size and the sequencing when walking with the cane.
The height of the cane should come up the crease of your wrist when your arm is resting at your side. This will look like a slight bend of the elbow when holding the cane in your hand.
You should hold the cane in the hand opposite the surgical / effected side as this will help offload the surgical leg more.
When walking with the cane, move the cane and surgical leg followed by the unaffected leg. The cane should be relatively close to the body and should not be placed ahead of the toe of involved extremity. When walking focus on good posture, full normal step length bilateral and heel to toe gait pattern.
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Thanks Dr. Luke I am 72 hours post left knee replacement. After a terrible experience with the Therapists in the hospital I decided to search for advise on using the walker correctly. Your explanation/video was spot on. Now I am watching your videos as I progress forward to using a cane. This video makes it simple to understand.
I'm very glad you have found the videos helpful. Best of luck in your continued recovery and healing after surgery!
Great video. I am having TKR Monday morning 6 AM and videos have been a huge help.
Glad they are helpful! Best wishes with your surgery and recovery after!
Simple but informative videos, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for a clear, concise demonstration. I liked the 2/1/2/1... tip
You are very welcome, glad you found the video helpful!
Thanks for your help. I really needed this information. God Bless.
You are very welcome, thanks for watching!
Thank you this was excellent. Simple and clear.❤
You are very welcome thank you for watching!
Very helpful, thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Thank you! Excellent video showing me how to transition from walker to cane after partial knee replacement.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Thankss
You are welcome!
Cane along surgical knee in unison. 👌🏽 thank you.
You're welcome!
Thanks for this. I had a knee scope and just got off the crutches. Wanted to know the correct way of using a cane. Thanks for the info.
Very welcome!
Thank you Doctor, I had TKR of my left knee on July 26th, and today I made the decision to transition from the Walker to a Cane. Your video was just what I needed. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome, glad you found the video helpful and best wishes in your continued recovery from surgery!
Thank You for an informative video
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the short and sweet information, I've been on crutches with a torn meniscus for 8 months, finally able to use a cane but the measurements were throwing me off. I'm tall 6'4 but my arms are very long. Originally going by other suggestions I was gonna need like a 40" cane but going by the wrist makes so much more logical sense. Now turns out I only need a 38" cane those 2 inches would make a heck of a difference over time. Thanks now I've got a quality cane on the way and it will be the right size the first time.
Glad I was able to help! Thanks for watching and best wishes on your continued recovery!
I would've did it wrong. I'm glad I watched. Thanks
Glad to help!
Thank you, you are so reassuring, the right level of support for me......I am not a Marine!
You are very welcome and thank you for watching!
Thank you for making this informative video. The lady at my doctors office did not give me any information on how to use the cane correctly.
You're welcome, glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this. I’m on my 3rd week after knee replacement and I just switched from walker to cane today
You are very welcome, hope the video was helpful!
Thank you Dr. Luke! I just had total right knee replaced. Am having in home physical therapy, however, decided after being told at my first post-op I should start to wean myself off of the walker, I'm glad I watched your video. I have in home physical therapy but was going to try using the cane before my next home visit. Glad I watched your video because I was thinking I was going to use the cane on the same side as the operated leg which is wrong. Thanks again.
You are very welcome and glad you found the video helpful! Best wishes with your recovery!
I had a complete ankle replacement in September.
Hope you are recovering well! Thanks for watching!
Thanks. My cane height was way off. Good now.
Glad the video was helpful!
Hi Dr Luke. Thank you for showing the way to walk with a cane. I have been walking the slower way n I think it has taxed on my left knee.😂 I operated my right knee 8 weeks ago n still have my left knee waiting to be operated. With all the Physio, walking n exercises, my left knee is feeling the pain. Are there any exercises which will reduce the burden on the left knee?
You are welcome, thank you for watching. The best way to reduce the burden on your left knee is to continue to build strength and mobility through the right knee. I don't have any particular exercises, but as strength and balance improves the right leg will take more stresses and hopefully provide some relief for the left leg.
I have just found your channel, and hope you can help me . I'll be having knee replacement surgery soon, after a long 2 yr wait! Can you please help me and correct hand to hold my stick? And with best method and use of walking stick to safely go UP and DOWN stairs, now and AFTER surgery? I pull myself up slowly, step by step now, one step at a time, but ive seen a video which I believe incorrectly shows how I should use my walking stick going up and down stairs? Ive search again and just found your video and great comments, so have subscribed. Please can you advise me and do you have a video showing the correct way to use the cane ? thank you in advance.
Thank you for watching and your question. With regular walking the cane always goes in the hand opposite the weaker leg or surgical leg. This allows greater forces of off-loading your body weight while stepping with your bad leg. For stairs, you want to keep the cane in the same hand and hold onto the railing with the other hand. The phrases to remember is "up with the good and down with the bad." You want to step first with the "good" leg and then follow with the "bad" or weaker leg and the cane together. For going down you "lead with the bad"... so it would be cane first, bad / weaker leg, then good / stronger leg. I don't have a video of doing steps with the cane, but I will definitely add it to my list of videos to create. Hope this helps!
@@KneeReplacementTherapists thankyou!
Is it the same method for hip replacement? Thank you
Yes it is!
After my right knee surgery I used the cane totally opposite. It just didn’t feel right the correct way. Perhaps because I’m right handed? I suppose that puts more stress on the surgery leg huh? Now I’ve had my left knee surgery, the correct way feels perfectly correct!
That's interesting! It certainly could be you just feel more comfortable holding the cane in your dominant hand. Glad you're finding the cane helpful.
I've heard use non surgical leg and then surgical leg and cane,am going to try your way😊
Sorry,I meant ñon surgical leg and surgical leg and cane together.I haven't tried your method but will do it now.thanks,hope it works
Thanks for watching! Yes, give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Where is the video that tells the WHY do we use a cane opposite of the injured (in my case) knee?
It is about the distance from the force of the cane and your knee. A greater distance between these two allows greater torque into the floor and the ability to off load force through the knee more. This can be confusing but it’s all about the physics of the different forces being exerted.
How do I use the cane on the stairs? Thanks
m.czcams.com/video/x5Swx4CowMk/video.html this video will thoroughly answer this question!
How do I know I’m ready for the cane. I have used my walker for two weeks now and I feel I have the strength to use my cane and I don’t have any pain or much stiffness
The safest way is to consult with your PT and practice in PT. If this is not an option, you really just have to try it out. Find an open area in your home, or a hallway somewhere and practice. It's good to have a family member or friend walk next to you just in case you lose your balance they can provide a gentle steadying hand. Also, if you feel like you are walking with no pain and normal full strides with the walker, these are other indications that you can trial a cane. Best wishes.
wear a different color sock on the injured leg.... Good video.
Thank you for watching... and that is a good suggestion, thank you.
I have been using a walker for 6 months now after comminuted fracture and surgery. Is this normal?
It can be. There are a lot of variables that play a role including your level of physical capabilities and health before and after the surgery.
Keep continuing making videos my friend. You are helping a lot of people.
Hi how r u.. Can I use cane now I am in my 5 months now after my femur surgery. I am walking still wth support of a walker. I can't walk without a support. I am just asking an I use cane instead of a walker so that I can practice to improve my balance. I hope u reply on my issue. Tnk u in advamce😘
I can't provide this recommendation without knowing how your balance and walking is.. This is a better question to ask your doctor or physical therapist. Thank you for watching!
Hello I had a total knee replacement on fed 8 2023 when I bend my knee I am still feel like the scar tissue is so tight is that ever going to get loser I feel like it is the only thing making me walk stiff. Is it something I didn't do fast enough
So it is not uncommon to have some lingering feelings of stiffness, but for most people this improves slowly over time. You can still see improvements in your range of motion and decreasing stiffness, its important to do your best to stay consistent with therapy range of motion exercises and overall remaining physically activity, this could be through walking, swimming, or anything you enjoy doing. Best wishes to you!
Mam how are you? How is knee pain after surgery
I have a knee injury and been having difficulty walking around with a cane, I tried your method but it did not work
I'm sorry to hear that. You may need a greater level of assistance such as with using crutches or a walker.
Wat about billateral tkr
Very good question.. Usually you want to hold the cane opposite the side that feels weaker and/or more painful. If both sides feel about the same, then try either hand and go with the one that feels more comfortable.
@@KneeReplacementTherapists yes I just assumed this reply and gave my patient the exact same thing thank u physio🥰
Why do i jump while taking a step from the good leg?😔
Hard to say definitively but it may be due to increased pain with bearing your full body weight on the "bad" leg as you step with the other leg. Increased weight bearing can cause increased pain and this will take time to improve strength, tolerance, and comfort.
@@KneeReplacementTherapists how do i overcome this?
@@mansimehlawat time, for your knee and body to continue to heal, and regular walking to build confidence and strength.
Why are you in your knees
Had to make sure my face was in the video!
This is illogical. I would assume cane is used to compensate for the loss of mobility on the weak side...so it should be used on the weak side.
This is why when we go up the stairs we go up with good leg first, bring up the weak leg second. Strong leg holds our weight while we bring up the weak leg. Going down in in reverse. Good leg does not need extra support, weak leg does.
This can be confusing and doesn’t intuitively make sense but I ensure you the video is accurate. This is considering the distance between the point where force is applied (like your hand on a cane) and the axis of rotation (your hip joint, for example). A greater distance provides more leverage, making it easier to support your weak leg while walking with a cane. You are still moving the weak leg with the cane just from the opposite hand so you have greater leverage through the cane and can offload the weaker leg more.
Yes, this is confusing. I speak from personal experience after using walker and cane.
I speak on what works for me. If one had a peg leg why would he use a cane on his good leg? Good leg needs no support, weak leg does. @@KneeReplacementTherapists
@@samkitty5894 You are still supporting the leg that needs it even with the cane in the other hand and with the cane in the opposite hand you are providing greater leverage and force through the ground to off load the leg you are trying to support. www.professionalptandtraining.com/why-is-my-cane-on-the-other-hand/#:~:text=When%20you%20step%20with%20your,together%20to%20support%20your%20weight.