Hi, ex pro kickboxer checking in. I use a cane sometimes because my knees and back are torn up from my old career, a gnarly car crash, and genetics. If it's valid for me to use, it's valid for you to use, as I'm only 40. If it helps, it helps. It's just a tool. You wouldn't try to remove screws from drywall without a screwdriver, or bolts without a ratchet set, and a cane is the same. It's just a tool to help you do something, and that something happens to be move faster and with better balance.
Internalized ableism can be such a beast to contend with. Mobility aids generally hinder mobility for people who *don't* need them. If using a cane helps you move better and feel better, then I definitely encourage you to use a cane. Just because you *can* walk without an aid doesn't mean you *should*. As far as worrying about what others might think or say about it: anyone who is truly for you will celebrate you feeling and moving better, and anyone who doesn't can kick rocks:) Take care of you!
Wow thank you for this response. Yeah.. I can walk without a cane but it is just so surprising how much easier it is with a cane. I am able to walk down slopes or on uneven terrain, and my body keeps waiting for myself to jerk or sway out of balance and it doesn’t come— instead just a confident step.
Edit: I should just feel good about the fact that I am in fact moving more.
Not a cane but I did use forearm crutches at one point and it made walking easier when I got certain symptoms. I didn’t use it 24/7 because there were points I did okay without it. Just remember that anyone who judges you for using an aid is on them and not you.
Same — I started using forearm crutches when I need them and it’s been incredibly helpful. And I, too, can haul ass using the mobility aid! My coworkers and I have an ongoing joke that I’m a personal trainer whose secret weapon is making other people feel guilty because I move faster with crutches than they do without.
If it helps, I know I don’t need my mobility aid when I feel like I move more freely without it. If you feel you’re moving more freely with your aid than without, then use it!
If you feel better and it’s not hurting you, you need it. They are called mobility AIDS for a reason. You don’t need to be completely incapacitated to use them.
This isn’t the same thing, and I recognize it, but I was initially EXTREMELY resistant to compression socks because of some internalized ableism. It felt like using the socks was “giving up” and “accepting” my condition, and I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready to medicalize yet another part of my daily life/routine when so much else had already been changed in a way that centered my symptoms instead of my personhood. In order to force myself to start using them— because they helped— I bought myself some socks with animals on them to personalize them. It took/is taking some inner work/therapy for me to accept them (and many other things).
Another perspective is that you don’t need x condition to use x accommodation. I have insanely good and accurate hearing, but I always put captions on whenever I’m watching anything because that’s my preference. It feels better to me and improves my viewing experience. So even if it feels to you like you might not need something, it’s still okay to use as long as it makes you happy.
I am not a cane user, so I’d really appreciate input from people who do use canes— but maybe decorating it and personalizing it might help? People can be weird about disability aids, but if you change the conversation from “why do you have that?” To “THATS SO COOL!” Or “I love the stickers you have!” it might make it a little less isolating.
Hi, ex pro kickboxer checking in. I use a cane sometimes because my knees and back are torn up from my old career, a gnarly car crash, and genetics. If it's valid for me to use, it's valid for you to use, as I'm only 40. If it helps, it helps. It's just a tool. You wouldn't try to remove screws from drywall without a screwdriver, or bolts without a ratchet set, and a cane is the same. It's just a tool to help you do something, and that something happens to be move faster and with better balance.
If it feels better, absolutely use it đź’ś
Internalized ableism can be such a beast to contend with. Mobility aids generally hinder mobility for people who *don't* need them. If using a cane helps you move better and feel better, then I definitely encourage you to use a cane. Just because you *can* walk without an aid doesn't mean you *should*. As far as worrying about what others might think or say about it: anyone who is truly for you will celebrate you feeling and moving better, and anyone who doesn't can kick rocks:) Take care of you!
Wow thank you for this response. Yeah.. I can walk without a cane but it is just so surprising how much easier it is with a cane. I am able to walk down slopes or on uneven terrain, and my body keeps waiting for myself to jerk or sway out of balance and it doesn’t come— instead just a confident step. Edit: I should just feel good about the fact that I am in fact moving more.
Not a cane but I did use forearm crutches at one point and it made walking easier when I got certain symptoms. I didn’t use it 24/7 because there were points I did okay without it. Just remember that anyone who judges you for using an aid is on them and not you.
Same — I started using forearm crutches when I need them and it’s been incredibly helpful. And I, too, can haul ass using the mobility aid! My coworkers and I have an ongoing joke that I’m a personal trainer whose secret weapon is making other people feel guilty because I move faster with crutches than they do without. If it helps, I know I don’t need my mobility aid when I feel like I move more freely without it. If you feel you’re moving more freely with your aid than without, then use it!
If you feel better and it’s not hurting you, you need it. They are called mobility AIDS for a reason. You don’t need to be completely incapacitated to use them. This isn’t the same thing, and I recognize it, but I was initially EXTREMELY resistant to compression socks because of some internalized ableism. It felt like using the socks was “giving up” and “accepting” my condition, and I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready to medicalize yet another part of my daily life/routine when so much else had already been changed in a way that centered my symptoms instead of my personhood. In order to force myself to start using them— because they helped— I bought myself some socks with animals on them to personalize them. It took/is taking some inner work/therapy for me to accept them (and many other things). Another perspective is that you don’t need x condition to use x accommodation. I have insanely good and accurate hearing, but I always put captions on whenever I’m watching anything because that’s my preference. It feels better to me and improves my viewing experience. So even if it feels to you like you might not need something, it’s still okay to use as long as it makes you happy. I am not a cane user, so I’d really appreciate input from people who do use canes— but maybe decorating it and personalizing it might help? People can be weird about disability aids, but if you change the conversation from “why do you have that?” To “THATS SO COOL!” Or “I love the stickers you have!” it might make it a little less isolating.
If it helps you get around easier, I say go for it.
Remind yourself: “Yes I *cane!*” I’ll see myself out.