I use a cane anytime I go out in public. It helps people keep their distance and not run into me.

My gait without the cane is a very wide stance, my daughter says like king kong or a zombie The wide stance is how I've "auto corrected" my balance issues and now my physio is trying to help me retrain it to be more normal.

With the cane, its way closer to normal, so that is useful. Around home, I don't use it in the house, I find it too tedious and when I'm doing chores, its just in the way, as I need my hands free for carrying buckets etc so I don't generally use it.

When I use the cane, I get less tired and I fall less... on the uneven ground outside with my hands full, I spend a good bit of time on the ground, but that's just the way things are right now.

Mine is an adjustable offset cane, I think it was $30 at Shoppers Home Health, Airgo is the brand name, I believe. Its held up well. I had an off brand cheaper one at first $20 and when I tumbled into the ditch at the front of our property while trying to retrieve a garbage can, I somehow snapped it, but didn't notice until I tried to use it to stand up and fell again, right next to the 80km/h road... cars swerved, horns honking... I was ok, but it was a scary scene.

I would say if you have access to canes, give one a try and see how it goes before you spend any money... just make sure it has a rubber grip end... and in this weather you might want to spend $5 and get an ice pick end for it!

Starr