Stanley wrote: ↑28 Mar 2021, 07:48
"Bloody hell Stanley you're an awkward bugger."
Part of my essential charm.... I do not need two sticks and will watch out for my shoulder. You could say the same thing about me having to move the bed manually on the milling machine in the shed. That used to be bad for my shoulder but it seems to have developed the right muscles.
When you walk you transfer the weight directly through the knee to the hip joint which is designed by evolution to take that stress and weight. Alternate legs balances the wear on each hip and the stresses through the spine. 4 legged animals that land feet first have a specially mobile shoulder joint to prevent a break when they put the weight through the joint. We do not.
In using your stick as a means of holding your weight when walking, (and don’t say you don’t Stanley

because if you don’t , you don’t need it. ) then you are exerting the force through your stick ( acting like the leg) to the shoulder and not your hip, by using only one stick there is no stress distribution with each step.
Our shoulder joints are not designed to take this stress, so to balance it you use two sticks. Now I admit that the small amount you walk then the damage will be reduced but over time it can have an effect. My friend Wendy eventually resorted to two sticks, the shoulder problem eased and she found it much easier to walk. My friend Mike, did not listen to me and he ended up with physio for a damaged shoulder. The problem is made worse with stick(s) that are incorrect length.
What is wrong with two sticks ?