In praise of the walking stick

I came across a research trial recently and was delighted to see that it proved that there was a really good, completely risk-free way of easing the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee. This is the most common form of arthritis, which affects many people as they get older, particularly those who have done a lot of physical exercise, or who struggle with their weight. Of course, we have always known that there are benefits in walking sticks. Their use in helping with knee problems can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt! However, their advantages have been anecdotal until now. Hopefully this piece of research may help to overcome the perception that sticks are a sign of age and vulnerability, and more a tool for keeping you fit and well.

The trial was carried out by a Brazilian team who allocated people with arthritis of the knee into two groups. The members of one group were given a stick and five minutes of physiotherapy to show them how to use it most effectively. Those in the second group were not given a stick. After two months each group was reassessed. The walking stick group were found to have less pain. In fact, the group’s pain scores were better than would have been achieved through any other non-surgical intervention. This comes with the additional advantage of no side effects and drug interactions, both of which are common problems of pain killers. Quality of life was also significantly improved; as a patient observed recently, her stick enabled her to walk faster, which improved the boring trundle to the bus stop. She enjoyed prodding things in the garden with it and found it very useful to attract her neighbour’s attention. Along with others, she was also aware how much nicer people were to her when she had it in her hand, not only offering her seats on the bus but also holding doors open for her. Even cars seemed less keen to make her hurry to cross the road.

There are some tips to ensure that maximum benefit is gained from a stick; getting the right length of stick is really important. This can be measured by standing straight with your arms by your side. The stick should come up to the wrist crease, so that when you are holding the stick your arm will be flexed by 20-30%. The stick should be used on the opposite side to the affected knee because this means that the arm swings with the affected knee maintaining a normal gait pattern, and the stick will share the load with the knee.

I walked with my father this half-term when I joined him in the Yorkshire Dales, which in my opinion has landscape second only to that of Dartmoor. His mobility has been restricted in recent years, but armed with a rather trendy walking stick brought from the local mountaineering centre, we were able to cover several miles in this beautiful part of the world. We finished with a pint of rather good bitter in the local pub, feeling pleased with ourselves along with a great sense of achievement - all made possible by his stick.

Dr Harriet Doyle

Tavyside Health Centre, Tavistock