Joan Dykstra <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
<<Can someone with experience or knowhow please let me know how to walk with a
walking stick.  My husband  is having difficulty with balance.  We purchased
a walking stick and he does walk better with it, but doesn't really feel
comfortable with it.  Are there directions somewhere as to how to use the
walking stick?  A certain rhythm?  Anything?  Thanks for your help.
Joan (56/8)>>

and, Mail Joyce44 <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
<<Joan,  I began using a cane some longs months ago.  I refused in the
beginning but now it is my silent companion.  I go nowhere without it.   I
use the cane mostly because of my balance problem.

A STICK (cane) WILL ONLY INCREASE THE FRUSTRATION LEVEL OF THE PWP who has a
balance problem.

I use a QUAD CANE   this is a cane with a horozontal flat piece if metal
attached to the bottom.  ON that flat piece are four legs with each one
covered by a rubber cane tip.  So in reality,  Im holding one handle but i
have the advantage of cane that does not wobble.>>

Using a walking stick may function well for the pwp with balance deficit if
used in manner that hand gripping the stick is above shoulder-level.  the
placing of the stick onto the ground is done with this providing a sense of
something to lean upon.  It is supportive in climbing or descending also - if
properly used.

My recent first trial of a motorized treadmill included some walking with
hands upon the side-bars of the device as well as walking without support and
swinging my arms.

The latter is much more difficult!

I believe it is because the deficit of sufficient dopamine to transmit all the
balance-related feed-backs from the peripheral nervous systems sufficiently
rapidly to the various central nervous system and motor system neural messages
to compensate for the unsteady feeling/actuality occurs for us pwps.

my walking was easy with hands on the bars lightly (or much support) at 3
miles per hour pace; difficult to do with hands being free to swing arms
rthymically opposite to legs position.

At 5 mph, I could barely maintain a walking motion with hands on the bars.
there was no balance difficulty - just inability to move the legs fast enough.
(This may be due to insufficient dopamine in the central motor neural network.

At slower pace, much instability felt - and seldom could I keep enough balance
to maintain normal walking motion (full steps) - even if starting with hands
on bars and getting a good walking motion going , then taking hands off to
swing the arms.

have others had such experiences?
--
Ron Vetter 1936, 1984 PD dz ... "money is coined liberty" ... Dostoevsky
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter