Marian Minor, Physical Therapist, Ph.D.: The proper use of a properly fitted cane can make a very large difference in a person's life. Many people know a cane's good, but they don't know how to use it, where to use it and how high it should be, what the safety considerations are.

Dr. Roland Moskowitz: The use of the cane in the opposite hand -- most people use it in the same side which is not the best way to use it -- takes a lot of stress off that extremity. Some people who have difficulty will benefit from having orthotics in their shoes to redistribute the weight at the knee. Occupational therapy is important in the overall management -- the non-pharmacological management -- because patients have lost a function. For example, one of the early complaints of osteoarthritis to the hip is, "I can't put my socks on -- I can't bend over to put my shoes on." A simple instrument -- such as long-handled tongs -- to put on one's socks or put on one's shoes may make a big difference.

Dr. Rebecca Jaffe: They can choose what they feel most comfortable with. For me to tell them what to use may mean that they don't use it, but if they select themselves the product that they're going to be using, they seem to use it better and more often.