In this article we’ll help answer the common question: what is the correct height for a mobility aid like a walking stick or frame?
The short answer :
The height should be set so that the user has no more than a slight bend in the elbows (e.g. 10-15°) so that they’re able to effectively weight-bear through their upper limbs; this means that it should be set low enough that the person can straighten their arms without undue effort, but not so low that the person has to bend over to reach it.
A key thing to remember:
The height of a walking aid isn’t determined by how tall the person is, but instead by the distance between their hands and the ground
Here’s how to find the correct height:
How to set the correct height for a walking aid
The correct mobility aid height for most people is simple to find:
- The user should stand, in the shoes they normally wear, in their normal upright position
- Arms should hang naturally by their side
- Set the height so that the handle(s) are level with the crease of the wrist
So what are some of the key considerations when setting the height of a mobility aid?
Walking aid height: 6 must-knows, myths and mistakes
There’s a tendency to set mobility aids too high… which can have the opposite effect of what we’re trying to achive:
1. Increasing the height of a mobility aid does not make people stand up straighter
The majority of people who have a bent and stooped over posture have structural changes in their spine.
They’re stuck in a flexed lumbar position with a fixed thoracic kyphosis; their spine can’t straighten up any further.
So, if you give them a mobility aid that’s set too high, they’ll still be in this bent over position…
…the only difference is that now they’ll also have bent and tired arms.
2. A mobility aid that’s too high can actually cause a person to be more bent over
It’s more energy-efficient to rely on skeletal-support for weight-bearing:
This is why we stand with our legs straight (and gymnasts hang out on parallel bars with their arms fully extended).
If a mobility aid is set so high that the arms are always bent?
Then the user has to rely solely on muscular support.
Then, as the muscles of the upper body inevitably get tired and provide less support, the person ends up in a more bent over posture.
3. Mobility aids that are too high can be the cause of shoulder discomfort
If a walking aid is too high and a person can’t straighten their arms?
To compensate the user will be positioned with their shoulder in extension and internal rotation.
This can be a cause of irritation (especially in people who have restricted movement or existing shoulder conditions)
4. A walking frame that’s set too high can be the cause of people holding it too far away from them
Walking frames are most effective when the user can be up close, and they can put weight straight down through their arms.
If a frame is too high?
Rather than keep their shoulders in an unnatural position, a common response is to keep the frame away from them in an effort to extend their arms.
5. Setting a walking-frame a notch or two lower can help prevent people from losing their balance
When someone with impaired balance is too upright and they walk too far into their frame. Then, the person has the potential to lose their balance either forwards or backwards.
A frame that is set slightly low can prevent them from losing their balance forwards (as they are leaning on the frame)
It can also help prevent losing balance backwards as their weight is already to the front.
6. The more reliant a person is on their mobility aid then the more important correct height becomes
Some clients have a walking stick that they periodically tap on the ground as a 3rd point of contact. If this is the case, then there’s more leeway when it comes to setting it at the correct height.
But the more reliant a person is on their mobility aid (either for balance or for offloading a painful joint)?
Then the more important it becomes to ensure they can weight-bear effectively through their upper limbs.
Summary: Setting the correct height for mobility aids
If a client has a mobility or movement restriction, we want to find the quick wins that’ll buy time while rehabilitation is taking place.
The first of our 4 Steps To Improve Home Care Clients’ Independence is to find the small aids and equipment that’ll immediately improve function:
Making sure they have the correct mobility aids AND it’s set-up correctly is part of this approach.