I was reading a Scooby Doo mystery with my kids this morning and one of the villains was walking with a cane in his right hand and a cast on his right foot. The first thing that struck me about the illustration was that the character was holding the cane in the wrong hand. (The other thing was that he appeared to be walking without bearing weight on his right foot, which can’t actually be accomplished with a cane…he’d need crutches or a walker for that. But it’s just pretend, so I guess it’s OK.)

Although it may seem intuitive to use a cane on the injured side, it actually should be carried in the opposite hand. It’s a long physics equation basically, but when you hold the cane on the same side you are able to take much less weight off the involved leg than when you carry it in the opposite hand.

So if you go out and buy a cane for yourself because of an aching hip, knee, or foot, be sure to hold it on the opposite side from where you feel pain. You will get the most benefit and relief this way.