No. The poles are for stability, a faster pace, and balance especially on difficult terrain, not protection.
I have always carried hiking staves or walking sticks on the trail from childhood, leading to a 20 year argument with my father. Who just happens to have a Ph.D. in kinesiology (the study of human motion), with sports physiology as his primary focus. He conceded my points about the utility of poles in marshy terrain and when on steep descents, but said the bottom line is it was dead weight otherwise.
Finally one day in my 20’s I was working at Ford Motor Company and I got an email from him. It contained an abstract of a study some people in his field had done in which it was found that hikers with walking sticks could maintain a 7% faster pace and reported lower reported levels of exertion, despite higher overall metabolic activity. The explanation was that work was being distributed more evenly throughout the body since the arms could help propel the hikers forward. At the bottom my father simply wrote “I concede.” :-)
About 10 years ago, Mrs. abb decided that we needed expand our horizons in the Smoky Mountains, and hike to some waterfalls. Ok, we will need to get into a little better shape, I replied.
From then on, we have done about 2 3/4 miles every morning around the neighborhood, and then about 45 minutes in the PM on a stationary bike. I tell her she saved my life. Lost 50 pounds, and feel much better.
From there, we bought some aluminum hiking/trekking poles for us at Wally World. I use them every day, and have noticed a significant improvement in my arms and shoulders. It takes some weight off my knees, too.
On the mountain trails, the poles have been lifesavers, with a significant aid to balance around rocks and tree roots. They help more on downhill than uphill.