ATTENTION CANE & TREKKING POLE USERS, or if you’ve been considering them!
I’ve been dying to do a podcast episode that’s all about the use of canes and trekking poles, and, most importantly, the advantages or disadvantages of using one or the other; and, yes, believe it or not, there are HUGE differences in these two modes of assistance.
The bottom line is, YOU MAY BE USING THE WRONG DEVICE AND/OR YOU MAY BE USING IT INCORRECTLY! You don’t know what you don’t know until you know. 😉
Check out the episode notes below to see what we discussed (link to episode):
– At what point in your mobility journey should you be considering a assistive device?
– The stigma that accompanies assistive device use
– Paying attention to your patterns of mobility difficulty
– Giving yourself permission to allow yourself to feel safe
– Why Trevor prefers trekking pulls
– Our bodies are wired for symmetry
– Assistive devices give your brain the opportunity to chill and concentrate on walking
– What’s missing in your walking chain when you use a cane?
– The danger of asymmetry
restoring gait patterns with trekking poles
– Who wouldn’t you recommend a cane or trekking poles for?
– When one trekking pole or cane should be used
– You’ve got to check your ego!
– What comes first, a rollator or a cane/trekking pole?
– When you’re not ready for trekking poles
– In which hand should you be holding your cane trekking pole
– How reaching for things throws you off balance
– Are there programs within the MS Gym (membership or free) that specifically address cane and trekking pole use?
– The final word on which device Trevor favors…canes or trekking poles?
– The ongoing conversation we have with ourselves regarding the stigma of mobility device use
– Learning not to be ego driven
– You can’t control what people think
– What’s good for you is good for your social circle
– The gift of the disease