Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

I'm lucky I don't have to depend on one.....yet. There are days though that I wonder!

If nothing else, you can always use your cane to knock someone in the head that says something stupid to you about RA. We've all had THAT experience!!

I am very dependent on my cane and sometimes have to use a walker. It does hurt my hand and wrist to use a cane but I look at it this way: What hurts worse, extra pressure on my arthritic hand, or a fall in the middle of a hard parking lot? I have fallen many times in my own home and when physically exerting myself, I feel like i am going to pass out any minute and get over heated very easily. I am so thankful I have my cane and my walker. I get yelled at by my mom for using the walker but she just doesn't understand. Then there are times that I feel like i need a wheelchair, for example I can't go to the local mall anymore to shop, I have to do most of it online, because walking the mall is too physically exerting for me and i almost fall and pass out even using the cane.

And as Granny said, you can always you your cane to bop someone over the head that tells you that you don't look sick or what have you!!

Using a cane is totally up to you but i know if I didn't, my butt would be on the floor more times than I can count!!

Gentle hugs,
Jenna

Yeah, I'm in the same boat with Jenna. It hurts my hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders to use my cane, but it basically hurts my everything if I happen to fall down.

But, my left foot is definitely worse than my right hand/arm (the one that holds the cane) due to an old injury that decimated the joint of my big toe. So, its worth it for me to put up with the arm pain.

I used 1 cane for years and 2 canes for about a year until they replaced both of my knees. Yes, it killed my hands and wrists.

So when I had the knees done, I got special crutches made that used a standard set of crutches with platforms attached that allowed me to use them with my forearms, completely hands free. But I still had the top part of the crutches that I could lean on under my arms rather than regular platform crutches that lack that underarm support or the Canadian crutches that also lack that underarm support.

Should I need to go back to using a cane, I will probably go for platform crutches instead and reserve my special crutches for when I need even more support.

Talk to a physical therapist about ways to adapt a cane or about trying a platform crutch/es instead of a cane. For all I know, they may make a platform cane.

Jenny

I also use a cane for balance. Besides my bad knees and feet, I don't have a good sense of balance since an inner ear infection in my 30's.

And it hurts the hands and wrists, but since my last fall on the bike, I am not taking any chances with falling. Besides, it gives me an excuse for weaving around like a drunk. It is obvious something is wrong! LOL

Right now I'm having a flare from hell, on my right hand. So yeah, that cane hurts like poop, but when my hand flares, I don't use the cane in the house, and when it's really bad, I wear my wrist splint, making holding a cane very manageable.

The doctor gave me 4 cortisone shots in my hand/wrist so I could use my cane again. That flare is just hanging on bleh.

Lin

It might be worth the pain, just to bop people!

And the weaving around like a drunk, yeah, I don't seem to be able to walk in a straight line anymore, and when I am tired it gets worse. Stupid RA.

lol, inkjoy. it does suck...I hate to use my cane but I'll use it if I have to as it keeps me balanced too. Not to mention it keeps me from putting weight on my bad knee.

I use a cane too.It used to be more occasional, but in the past six months it's been every day. It does sometimes cause pain in my wrist and hand. So, I wear my wrist brace or wrap it in sports tape, and that gives me a little more support. The cane is very useful for me at work- I work in a huge hospital, and I just have to cover a lot of ground. I often find myself walking alongside a coworker, and I find they are more likely to walk at my speed if I have my cane. I'm 32 and baby faced, so using the cane gives people a hint that something is wrong without me having to bring it up.