Postural Support Devices

Wheelchair users are people who currently have a wheelchair or who can gain from utilizing a wheelchair since their ability to walk is limited. The requirements of each wheelchair user will differ. All wheelchairs supply seating and postural assistance in addition to movement. Great postural assistance is very important for everybody, especially for individuals who have an unsteady spinal column or are most likely to develop secondary deformities. The significance of good seating and postural assistance can mean the difference between the user being active and an independent member of society and the user being entirely reliant and in danger of serious injury or perhaps death. Every proper, well-fitting wheelchair provides the user with some postural assistance.

Posture

What is Posture? When the body is fixed or when it is moving, posture is the mindset presumed by the body either. Posture is obtained as a result of the coordinated action of different muscles working to maintain stability. When standing or sitting, posture in easy terms can be understood as the position in which you hold your body. Many wheelchair users spend lots of hours sitting. This means that their wheelchair is not simply a mobility aid. It also assists to support them in sitting upright easily. Wherever possible, a well-fitting wheelchair ought to support wheelchair users in being in an upright or neutral posture.

Benefits of Upright Posture

Sitting upright assists wheelchair users in numerous ways consisting of; Health: an upright posture aids with digestion of food and breathing; Stability: an upright posture is more stable; Weight Distribution: when sitting upright body weight is uniformly distributed-- this helps to reduce the threat of pressure sores; Comfort: when body weight is distributed evenly, it is more comfortable for the user; Avoiding Problems with Posture: sitting upright will assist to lower the chance of establishing deformities of the spinal column in the future; Self-Esteem and Confidence: sitting upright can assist wheelchair users to feel better about themselves. Even though sitting upright has numerous advantages, without postural support it can be tough to remain in this posture all day. This is why people without special needs utilize various postures throughout the day. For a wheelchair user who beings in a wheelchair all the time, the wheelchair requires to offer enough support to help the user to sit upright conveniently.

How Does Additional Postural Support Help?

There are four extremely crucial manner ins which additional postural assistance can benefit wheelchair users;

• Improves Balance
• Stability
• Posture
• Enhances Comfort

Improving balance, stability and posture can assist wheelchair users to perform activities that are not possible or extremely tough for them without additional postural support. Additional postural support can make a wheelchair much more comfortable and can increase the time wheelchair users can be in their wheelchair before ending up being exhausted.

Prevent the Development of Pressure Sores

A pressure sore can establish very quickly. Good postural support assists to avoid pressure sores by making sure that one part of the body is not overloaded. One benefit of sitting upright is that weight is uniformly dispersed. This assists to reduce the threat of pressure aching. When a wheelchair user does not sit upright, their weight is unevenly distributed. One part of their body will take more weight than other parts. If that additional weight is on the skin, which lies over a bony location, there is a high threat of pressure sores. Examples of bony locations consist of the sit bones (ischial tuberosity), ribs, hips (trochanters), spine (vertebra), or tail bone (coccyx). When a wheelchair user is not well supported, he/ she tends to move on the seat. This causes shear, which results in press sores. Sitting well supported avoids shearing and sliding. Assists to decrease or preventing the development of problems with posture in the future. Reasonable postural assistance can avoid issues with posture developing. Great postural support can slow down or prevent this from getting worse if a posture issue has currently begun. Great postural assistance in lying, standing, and sitting, started as early as possible is important.Original Article