Hip and Knee Pain: How Mobility Aids Reduce Pressure on Your Joints

Standing up from a dining chair, walking to the mailbox, lowering yourself onto the toilet - for many older adults with hip and knee pain, these are the moments that hurt most. The ache often settles once you are seated, then returns the next time you need to move. There is a mechanical reason for this pattern, and it also points to a practical fix. Three everyday mobility aids - a cane, a toilet safety rail, and a raised toilet seat - can take part of the load off painful joints, and each one works best when it is set up and used correctly.

Why Hip and Knee Pain Gets Worse With Certain Movements

Many older adults begin to notice knee or hip pain and stiffness during everyday activities such as walking and getting up from a seat. This is often the result of degenerative changes and arthritis that develop with age. The hips and knees carry body weight with every step, so they tend to wear faster than many other joints, and an earlier injury to a hip or knee makes that joint more likely to degenerate later. Over time, bone spurs can form, the joint space can narrow, and ligaments and tendons can thicken. When a worn joint becomes painful, inflammation and mechanical loading are usually involved, and the diagnosis is often osteoarthritis (OA). According to the CDC, about 33 million U.S. adults have OA, the most common of the types of arthritis seen in seniors.

Clinicians describe what happens during movement as mechanical load: the force that passes through a joint each time you move. Load is measured in multiples of body weight, and it is higher than most people expect. In a study that measured forces directly with instrumented knee implants, the knee carried an average peak of about 2.6 times body weight during level walking and roughly 3.2 to 3.5 times body weight on stairs. For someone who weighs 160 pounds, that means more than 400 pounds of force through the knee with each ordinary step. Standing up from a chair produced a similar peak of about 2.5 times body weight, but it happens at a much deeper bend, and the forces behind the kneecap can reach or exceed those in the main knee joint as the bend deepens. The lower the seat, the deeper that bend becomes.

How a Cane Reduces Hip and Knee Pain

A physical therapist will often recommend a cane first, and for good reason. Knowing how to use a cane for knee pain correctly may reduce the forces on both the hip and the knee in two ways.

First, a cane increases your base of support. Without a cane, your base of support is only as wide as your two feet. When you hold a cane in the hand opposite your painful hip or knee, your base widens to include both feet and the distance between your body and the cane tip. Second, the cane helps support the painful joint, which reduces how hard the muscles around the hip and knee need to contract. That drop in muscle force further reduces the mechanical load on the joint, and less load can mean less pain.

Research supports this. In a randomized trial of 64 adults with knee osteoarthritis, those who used a cane daily for two months reported less pain and better function than those who did not. Walking with the cane took more energy during the first month, but that extra effort faded by the end of the second month as participants adapted. If you are not sure it is time for one, these signs you may need a mobility aid can help you decide.

Which Side Should You Hold a Cane On?

Hold the cane in the hand opposite your painful hip or knee. If your right knee hurts, the cane goes in your left hand. People often ask, “What side do you use a cane on?” because holding it on the painful side can feel more natural, yet the opposite hand is what widens your base of support. With the cane on the far side, it moves forward together with the painful leg, so your arm can share the weight at the moment that leg is working hardest. Mayo Clinic gives the same guidance and notes that moving the cane with the affected leg may ease strain on it.

How to Set Cane Height

The right cane height places the top of the handle level with the crease of your wrist when you stand upright with your arms relaxed at your sides. When you hold the cane, your elbow should bend slightly, about 15 to 30 degrees. Measure while wearing the shoes you usually walk in. A cane that is too short may make you lean to one side, while one that is too long is harder to lift and move with each step.

Picture Ruth, 71, who borrowed her late husband’s cane. He was several inches taller, so she walked with her shoulder hiked up, and her wrist ached by the end of each walk. A cane adjusted to her own wrist crease may have spared her that strain.

Quad Cane vs Standard Cane

Most people do well with a standard single-tip cane. A quad cane, which rests on four tips, gives a broader base of support, but it can be heavier and harder to handle. The best cane for knee pain depends on how much stability you need. A standard cane may suit mild pain or occasional unsteadiness, especially on longer walks. A quad cane may be worth it if you lean heavily on the cane, feel unsteady, or want a cane that stands on its own while you open a door. On grass, gravel, or broken pavement, four tips may not sit evenly, and a single tip can be easier to place.

Cane Walking Pattern

The cane and your painful leg move together. Step forward with the painful leg and the cane at the same time, then step through with your stronger leg while the cane stays planted. On stairs, the order changes, and this is the step people most often get wrong. Going up, hold the railing with your free hand, step up with your stronger leg first, then bring the painful leg and the cane up together. Going down, place the cane and the painful leg on the lower step first, then follow with the stronger leg. Physical therapists often sum it up as “up with the good, down with the bad.”

Why the Toilet Is the Hardest Seat in the House

Unfortunately, the toilet is often the most painful seat in the house, because it is the lowest seat in the house. Sitting down and standing up from any seat places more mechanical load on the hip and knee, since both joints must bend close to the end of their range while they carry your weight. That end-range bending increases the forces on the joints, and a low seat makes the bend deeper. In the implant study cited earlier, standing up from a chair already produced peaks of about 2.5 times body weight, and a toilet that sits lower than your usual chair asks the joints to do that work from an even deeper position.

Toilet Safety Rails

A therapist may recommend a safety rail for the toilet. The rail may reduce the forces on the joints by allowing you to use your arms to help with the transfer, which in turn reduces the forces on the hip and knee. Height adjustment matters: set the rails so your hands rest on them with your elbows slightly bent when you sit, which lets you push straight down instead of reaching up or hunching forward. Weight capacity matters too, so check that the rated limit sits comfortably above the user’s weight.

The Pelegon Toilet Safety Rail adjusts in height from 24 to 30 inches and in width from 19 to 24.5 inches, supports up to 350 lbs, and sets up without tools or drilling. Think of Tom, 78, whose knees ache most first thing in the morning. With a rail on each side, he can lean his weight into his arms and rise in one steady motion instead of rocking forward two or three times.

Raised Toilet Seats

A therapist may also recommend raising the toilet seat. A raised toilet seat reduces the amount of bending at both the hip and the knee, which reduces the forces on those joints and can ease pain. When choosing one, look at the finished seat height instead of the added height alone. A common guide is that your hips should sit level with or slightly above your knees once seated, with your feet still flat on the floor. A seat that is too high can leave your feet dangling and make sitting down less controlled.

A raised toilet seat for knee replacement recovery may make the first weeks home easier, since a stiff, healing knee often cannot bend far. A raised toilet seat after hip replacement is also commonly advised, and when you can return to a regular toilet depends largely on your surgical approach. The Pelegon Raised Toilet Seat With Handles adjusts from 16 to 22 inches floor to seat, supports up to 400 lbs, fits round and elongated toilets, and assembles without tools.

Using Both Together

A raised seat and arm support address two different parts of the same problem. The added height reduces how far your hips and knees must bend, while rails or armrests let your arms share the push to stand. Used together, they may lower joint load more than either one alone. Some raised toilet seats, including Pelegon’s, come with padded armrests built in, so one frame covers both needs. If your toilet is already a comfortable height but standing up still feels shaky, a toilet safety rail on its own may be enough.

Other Ways to Reduce Load on Painful Joints

The same principles - less bending under load and more help from your arms - apply around the rest of the house, and they offer simple answers for how to relieve hip and knee pain day to day. Choose chairs with firm seats and sturdy armrests, and avoid deep, low sofas that sink as you sit. On stairs, take one step at a time, hold the railing, and use the cane pattern described earlier. Pacing helps too: break longer errands into shorter trips with rest stops, and spread demanding tasks across the day. Staying active still matters, and gentle exercises for arthritis can help strengthen the muscles that support painful joints.

When to See a Doctor

Ongoing hip and knee pain deserves a conversation with your doctor, and some symptoms call for prompt attention. The NHS advises getting urgent advice if a knee is severely painful, cannot move or bear weight, or is badly swollen. Contact a doctor promptly if you notice:

• Sudden swelling, or a joint that has changed shape
• Being unable to put weight on the leg
• Pain that wakes you at night or does not ease with rest
• Fever, chills, or a joint that feels hot and red
• Locking, catching, or the joint giving way

Mobility aids help manage the load on a painful joint, but they do not treat the underlying joint disease. A doctor or physical therapist can confirm what is causing your pain and build a plan that may include exercise, weight management, medication, or other treatment.

Choosing the Right Support for Your Joints

Each of these mobility aids for knee pain and hip pain fits a different moment in the day. If walking is what hurts, a cane may help most - hold it in the hand opposite the painful side and set it to your wrist crease. If standing up is the hard part, a toilet safety rail lets your arms share the work. If the deep bend itself is painful, a raised toilet seat that keeps your hips level with or slightly above your knees may ease each transfer. For many people, the right combination makes it possible to keep walking, visiting, and moving through their own home with more confidence. When you are ready to compare options, explore Pelegon’s knee pain and hip pain collections, or ask your physical therapist about the setup that fits your home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What side do you hold a cane on for knee pain?

Hold the cane in the hand opposite your painful knee. The cane then moves forward with the painful leg and shares its load.

How tall should a cane be?

The handle should line up with the crease of your wrist when your arms hang at your sides. Your elbow should bend slightly, about 15 to 30 degrees, when you hold it.

Does a cane actually reduce knee pain?

It can. In a randomized trial, adults with knee osteoarthritis who used a cane daily for two months reported less pain and better function.

What is the best cane for hip and knee pain?

For most people, a standard single-tip cane set to the correct height works well. A quad cane may suit those who need more stability on even ground.

How high should a raised toilet seat be?

High enough that your hips sit level with or slightly above your knees, with your feet flat on the floor. A physical therapist can measure the right height for you.

Do I need a toilet safety rail, a raised seat, or both?

A rail helps when standing up is hard but bending is tolerable, while a raised seat helps when the deep bend itself hurts. Many people with significant pain benefit from both.

What causes hip and knee pain at the same time?

Osteoarthritis is a common cause, since it often affects more than one weight-bearing joint. Pain in one joint may also change how you walk and strain the other, so a doctor should check both.