Arthritis in the knee or hip can make something as ordinary as walking across a room feel less comfortable or less stable. For some people, a properly fitted cane for arthritis can provide extra support, reduce pressure on a painful leg, and make everyday movement feel more manageable.
But simply buying a walking cane is not enough. The height, handle, tip, side you hold it on, and the way you walk with it all matter. A cane that is too short, too tall, poorly positioned, or not supportive enough for your needs may be uncomfortable and could even make walking less secure.
This guide explains when a cane may help with arthritis, which side to use, how to check the proper height, how to choose among common cane styles, and when a walker or professional mobility assessment may be more appropriate.
Can a Cane Help With Arthritis Pain and Walking?
Yes, a cane can be useful for some people whose arthritis affects walking, balance, stability, or comfort.
The 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guideline strongly recommends cane use for people with knee or hip osteoarthritis when the condition has a substantial enough effect on walking, joint stability, or pain to justify an assistive device.
A cane does not treat or reverse the underlying arthritis. Instead, it acts as an assistive device. When used properly, it can share some of the load during walking, improve balance, and give you another point of contact with the ground.
This can be particularly useful if discomfort makes you shorten your stride, favor one leg, or feel less confident during everyday movement.
A cane should usually complement—not replace—other appropriate strategies such as exercise, strength work, medical treatment, and efforts to improve joint mobility naturally.
When Might a Cane for Arthritis Be Useful?
Using a cane for arthritis may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional if arthritis is making walking uncomfortable or less stable.
Possible situations include:
- Knee or hip pain that becomes more noticeable during weight-bearing.
- Mild weakness affecting one leg.
- Mild balance or stability problems.
- Difficulty walking longer distances.
- A tendency to favor one side because of discomfort.
- Reduced confidence while walking outdoors or on unfamiliar surfaces.
- A recommendation from a doctor, physical therapist, or other healthcare professional.
If your primary problem is knee pain when walking, it is still important to understand why the knee hurts. A cane may reduce strain during movement, but it does not diagnose or treat conditions such as osteoarthritis, tendon problems, meniscal injuries, inflammatory arthritis, or other causes of knee pain.
The same principle applies to hip joint pain. A mobility aid can provide support, but persistent or worsening pain still deserves appropriate evaluation.
Which Side Should You Use a Cane On?
This is one of the most common questions about cane use.
For a painful or weaker leg, a cane is generally held in the opposite hand.
For example:
- If your right knee or hip is the affected side, you would usually hold the cane in your left hand.
- If your left knee or hip is the affected side, you would usually hold the cane in your right hand.
Both AAOS guidance on using canes and Cleveland Clinic’s instructions describe this opposite-side technique.
Why Use the Opposite Hand?
Holding the cane opposite the affected leg allows the cane and the painful or weaker leg to move forward together. As you load that leg, your opposite arm can push into the cane and provide additional support.
It also fits the natural arm-and-leg pattern of normal walking.
What If Both Knees or Hips Hurt?
If arthritis significantly affects both sides, choosing a single cane becomes less straightforward.
A cane provides limited support compared with a walker. Significant bilateral pain, weakness, repeated loss of balance, or difficulty bearing weight may mean that a walker or another mobility aid provides a safer level of support.
This is a good situation for a physical therapist or other qualified healthcare professional to assess your walking pattern and recommend the appropriate device.
Also remember that osteoarthritis is not the only form of joint disease. Understanding osteoarthritis vs rheumatoid arthritis can help explain why mobility problems do not always have the same underlying cause.
How High Should a Cane Be?
Correct cane height is one of the most important parts of safe, comfortable use.
When standing upright in your usual walking shoes with your arms relaxed at your sides, the top of the cane should generally line up around the crease of your wrist.
When you place your hand on the handle, your elbow should remain slightly bent rather than completely straight or sharply flexed.
AAOS uses the wrist crease as its positioning reference, while Cleveland Clinic similarly advises lining the handle up with the wrist crease and describes approximately a 20-degree elbow bend. Mayo Clinic also recommends wrist-level fitting with a comfortable slight bend at the elbow.
What Happens If a Cane Is Too High?
A cane that is too tall may force you to raise your shoulder or make the device awkward to move forward.
What Happens If a Cane Is Too Short?
A cane that is too short may encourage you to lean toward one side or bend unnecessarily, which can affect posture and balance.
Because footwear changes standing height slightly, check cane fit while wearing the shoes you normally use for walking.
How to Choose a Cane for Arthritis
There is no single “best” walking cane for everyone with arthritis. The right choice depends on how much support you need, which joints hurt, your balance, your hand comfort, and where you plan to use the cane.
1. Single-Point Cane
A standard single-point cane has one tip touching the ground.
For many people who need mild support or assistance with one-sided discomfort, this is the simplest option.
It is typically lighter and easier to move than a larger multi-point cane.
2. Quad Cane
A quad cane has a base with four contact points.
The broader base may provide additional stability in some circumstances, but a quad cane is also heavier and can be more awkward to position during normal walking.
Mayo Clinic notes that most people do well with a single-tip cane, while a quad cane provides a broader support base but can be more cumbersome.
If you need substantially more stability than a normal cane provides, it may be better to ask whether a walker is more suitable rather than assuming a larger cane is automatically the safest option.
3. Choose a Comfortable Handle
The handle deserves more attention than it often receives.
If you have arthritis or pain in your fingers, thumb, or wrist, gripping a poorly shaped handle repeatedly may be uncomfortable.
Mayo Clinic recommends choosing a comfortable grip and notes that people who have difficulty grasping may benefit from a larger grip.
If thumb joint pain when gripping is already a problem, test the handle carefully before choosing a cane. A physical or occupational therapist may also be able to suggest a grip that places less stress on painful hand joints.
4. Look for Adjustable Height
An adjustable cane makes it easier to achieve the correct wrist-level height and to make small changes if needed.
After adjusting it, make sure the locking mechanism is fully secured before walking.
5. Inspect the Rubber Tip
The rubber tip is a small but important safety feature.
Its purpose is to provide traction between the cane and the floor. A worn, hardened, cracked, or damaged tip may provide less reliable grip.
Mayo Clinic guidance on choosing and using canes recommends checking the tip periodically and replacing it when the tread becomes worn or the rubber becomes stiff.
6. Check the Cane’s Weight Rating and Construction
Follow the manufacturer’s stated weight limit and inspect the cane periodically for loose adjustment mechanisms, damaged components, or instability.
The goal is not to buy the most complicated cane available. It is to choose a stable, correctly fitted device that matches the amount of support you actually need.
How to Walk With a Cane Safely
Once the cane is fitted correctly, walking technique matters.
- Stand upright and hold the cane on the opposite side of the painful or weaker leg, unless your healthcare professional has instructed you differently.
- Move the cane forward a comfortable distance at the same time as the affected leg.
- Place the cane tip securely on the ground.
- Allow the cane to take as much support as needed while stepping with the affected leg.
- Step through with the stronger leg.
- Continue at a comfortable pace while looking ahead rather than constantly looking down at your feet.
Cleveland Clinic guidance on cane sizing and technique similarly recommends moving the cane with the weaker or injured leg, keeping an upright posture, and then stepping through with the stronger leg.
Do not place the cane excessively far in front of your body. It should remain close enough to provide useful support when you need it.
How to Use a Cane on Stairs
Stairs require additional care.
Whenever possible, use a secure handrail.
Going Up Stairs
- Step up with the stronger leg first.
- Bring the affected leg and cane up afterward.
- Regain your balance before taking the next step.
Going Down Stairs
- Place the cane down first.
- Bring the affected or weaker leg down.
- Follow with the stronger leg.
AAOS and MedlinePlus both describe the basic principle of leading with the stronger leg going up and the weaker side/cane when going down.
If stairs feel unsafe even with a cane and handrail, do not force the technique. A physical therapist can help determine whether another approach or mobility device is safer.
Cane vs Knee Brace: Which Provides Different Support?
A cane and a knee brace can both support mobility, but they work differently.
A cane gives you an additional external point of support during walking and can help unload a painful leg.
A knee brace is worn directly around the knee and may provide local stability, compression, movement guidance, or unloading depending on the brace design and the underlying condition.
If you are considering local knee support, our guide to choosing a knee brace for knee pain explains the major brace types and how their purposes differ.
Neither device should be assumed to treat every cause of knee pain.
Cane vs Walker: When Might a Walker Be Better?
A cane is generally most appropriate when you need a relatively small amount of additional support.
A walker provides a larger base of support and may be more appropriate when there is:
- Significant balance difficulty.
- More substantial weakness.
- Arthritis or pain affecting both legs.
- Frequent falls or near-falls.
- Difficulty putting enough weight through one or both legs.
- A need for more support than one hand and one cane can provide.
AAOS notes that people who need more help with balance and walking than a cane can provide may require a walker. HealthInAging similarly differentiates canes for milder or more one-sided problems from walkers for greater balance, weakness, or bilateral mobility difficulties.
If you are unsure which level of support you need, do not choose solely based on appearance or convenience. A short assessment by a physical therapist can help avoid using a device that provides too little—or unnecessarily much—support.
Common Cane Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the wrong height. A poorly fitted cane can change posture and technique.
- Holding it on the wrong side without a specific reason. For one weaker or painful leg, the opposite hand is generally recommended.
- Putting the cane too far forward. This can make support less reliable.
- Ignoring a worn rubber tip. Replace damaged or hardened tips.
- Choosing an uncomfortable handle. Hand, wrist, or thumb discomfort can make consistent cane use difficult.
- Leaning heavily on a cane that cannot provide enough support. A walker may be more appropriate.
- Moving too quickly on stairs or wet surfaces.
- Using the cane to avoid investigating worsening symptoms. The cane supports mobility; it does not diagnose the cause of pain.
When to Ask a Doctor or Physical Therapist
Consider professional advice before relying on a cane if you have:
- Repeated falls or near-falls.
- Severe or rapidly worsening joint pain.
- Sudden weakness or numbness.
- Difficulty bearing weight.
- Significant balance problems.
- Symptoms affecting both legs substantially.
- Recent hip or knee surgery.
- A new injury.
- A visibly deformed joint.
- A hot, markedly swollen or red joint.
- Fever together with severe joint symptoms.
- Uncertainty about whether a cane provides enough support.
A physical therapist can assess gait, balance, strength, cane height, device type, and walking technique rather than simply choosing a cane based on height or appearance.
This is especially useful if pain, arthritis, balance problems, and weakness are occurring together.
Conclusion
A properly selected cane for arthritis can be a practical tool for people whose knee or hip symptoms make walking less comfortable or stable.
The most important points are straightforward: use the correct height, choose a comfortable grip, keep the rubber tip in good condition, and generally hold the cane opposite the painful or weaker leg.
But a cane is not automatically the right mobility aid for everyone. If arthritis affects both sides, balance problems are significant, or the cane does not provide enough support, a walker or professionally fitted mobility aid may be more appropriate.
The goal is not simply to use a cane. It is to walk as safely, comfortably, and confidently as possible while still addressing the underlying cause of your joint symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which side do you hold a cane on for arthritis?
For arthritis that primarily affects one knee or hip, the cane is generally held in the hand opposite the painful or weaker leg. For example, right knee pain usually means holding the cane in the left hand. Follow a clinician’s instructions if you have been advised to use a different technique.
Can using a cane help knee arthritis?
A cane may help some people with knee osteoarthritis by providing an additional point of support and reducing strain during walking. The ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline strongly recommends cane use when knee or hip osteoarthritis significantly affects walking, stability, or pain.
How do I know if my cane is the right height?
Stand upright in your normal walking shoes with your arms relaxed. The cane handle should generally line up around the crease of your wrist, and your elbow should remain slightly bent while holding it.
Is a quad cane better than a regular cane?
Not necessarily. A quad cane has a broader base, but it is also heavier and may be less convenient to move. Many people who need mild support do well with a single-point cane. If you need substantial stability, ask whether a walker or another mobility aid would provide more appropriate support.
