A walking stick held on the correct side and at the right height can reduce the force on a painful hip by roughly 40%. That’s a significant amount of relief from a simple tool, but only if you use it properly. Most of the benefit comes down to three things: getting the height right, holding it on the correct side, and moving it in the right sequence when you walk.
Which Side to Hold the Stick
This is the single most important detail, and it’s the one people most often get wrong. Hold your walking stick in the hand opposite your painful hip. If your left hip hurts, the stick goes in your right hand. If your right hip hurts, it goes in your left hand.
This feels counterintuitive at first. Most people instinctively grab the stick on the same side as their pain. But your body’s mechanics work against you when you do that. When you walk, your opposite arm naturally swings forward with each step. Placing the stick on the opposite side lets it share the load with the painful hip during the moment in your stride when that hip bears the most weight. Research on hip contact forces shows that a cane used correctly can bring the load on the hip joint down to about 60% of what it would normally be. Using the stick on the wrong side eliminates most of that benefit.
Setting the Correct Height
Stand in the shoes you normally wear, with your arm relaxed and hanging straight at your side. The top of the walking stick should line up with the crease on the inside of your wrist. When you grip the handle in this position, your elbow will have a comfortable, slight bend of about 15 to 20 degrees. That small bend is important because it lets your arm act as a shock absorber rather than a rigid post.
If the stick is too tall, you’ll hike your shoulder up with every step, which creates tension in your neck and upper back. If it’s too short, you’ll lean toward the stick side, shifting your spine out of alignment and potentially creating new pain. Most adjustable sticks have push-button height settings in one-inch increments, so take a few minutes to test different positions before settling on one.
The Walking Sequence
Once your stick is the right height and in the correct hand, the walking pattern follows a simple three-beat rhythm: stick first, then your weaker leg, then your stronger leg.
- Step 1: Move the stick forward about one natural stride length.
- Step 2: Step forward with your painful (weaker) leg, planting your foot roughly even with the stick.
- Step 3: Step through with your stronger leg, bringing it past both the stick and your weaker leg.
The stick and your painful leg should hit the ground at nearly the same time, so the stick is absorbing load during the exact phase of your stride when your sore hip would otherwise take the full impact. Keep the stick close to your body, about four to six inches out from the side of your foot. Placing it too far away forces you to lean, which shifts your center of gravity and actually increases stress on your hip.
Try to maintain an upright posture. A common mistake is hunching toward the stick or looking down at your feet. Look ahead, keep your shoulders level, and let the stick do its job quietly beside you rather than bracing on it like a crutch.
Navigating Stairs
Stairs require a different sequence, and the easiest way to remember it is the phrase physical therapists use: “up with the good, down with the bad.”
When going up stairs, lead with your stronger leg. Step up onto the next stair with your good leg first, then bring the stick and your weaker leg up to meet it. When going down, reverse the order: place the stick on the lower step first, then step down with your weaker leg, and finally bring your stronger leg down.
If there’s a handrail available, use it. Hold the railing with one hand and the stick with the other. The stick stays on the side opposite the railing. Follow the same sequence: good leg leads going up, stick and bad leg lead going down. The handrail gives you a second point of stability, which makes a real difference on steeper or narrower staircases.
Choosing the Right Type of Stick
For most people with hip pain, a standard single-point walking stick is the best starting point. It’s lightweight, easy to maneuver, and sufficient for the partial weight-bearing that hip pain typically requires. A quad cane, which has a four-footed base, offers more stability but is heavier and slower to use. It’s generally better suited for people who also have significant balance problems or weakness on one side of the body, not just hip pain alone.
Handle shape matters more than most people realize. A contoured or ergonomic handle distributes pressure across your palm, which prevents hand and wrist fatigue on longer walks. The classic crook-shaped “tourist” handle concentrates force on a small area of your palm and can become uncomfortable quickly, especially if you rely on the stick daily. If you’re using your walking stick for more than short trips around the house, an ergonomic handle is worth the small extra cost.
Keeping Your Stick in Good Condition
The rubber tip at the bottom of your walking stick is the only thing between you and a slip on wet or smooth surfaces. Inspect it once a month. Look for cracks, flat spots, exposed metal underneath, or tread that’s worn smooth. Replace the tip when it’s worn to less than half its original thickness, or at the first sign of cracking. For most people using a stick daily, that means a new tip every six to twelve months. If you walk frequently on rough pavement or concrete, you may need to replace it sooner.
A worn tip is one of the most common and most preventable causes of cane-related falls. Replacement tips cost very little and are available at most pharmacies. Keep a spare at home so you’re never walking on a compromised tip while waiting for a replacement.
What to Expect in the First Few Days
Your arm and shoulder on the stick side may feel sore for the first week or two, especially if you haven’t used a walking aid before. This is normal. The muscles in your forearm, shoulder, and upper back are doing new work. Start with shorter walks and build up gradually.
You may also notice that your walking speed slows down initially as you learn the three-beat rhythm. That’s fine. Speed comes back naturally once the pattern becomes automatic, which for most people takes a week or two of consistent use. The goal isn’t to walk fast. It’s to walk with less pain and a more even gait, which protects not just your hip but your knees, back, and the opposite hip from compensating for the painful side.