Once you’ve purchased the right wheelchair, it’s vital that you use it to its best level of support. Maintaining good posture is one of the most important things to remember to get the most out of your wheelchair — particularly for those who may be sat for many hours in a day.
Manual wheelchair users are often advised to maintain good posture and push on the rims of their wheels in order to make sure they’re applying the right amount of energy when operating their chair. Electric wheelchairs may be operated differently, but the principle remains the same. Your electric wheelchair should always be adjusted to suit your individual needs and to ensure as much comfort and support as possible.
The 5 key benefits of good posture
Good posture provides comfort to users by relieving pressure on various parts of the body, such as the spine, neck, thigh and others. Posture is also fundamental to making sure the user can apply the right amount of energy when operating the wheelchair, optimising their own use of energy in the process. In short, the five key benefits are:
- It maintains comfort
- It can improve and support functionality and activity
- It reduces stress and fatigue on the body
- It reduces the possibility of developing pressure sores
- It can help to reduce the risk of injury
By grasping the basics of maintaining good posture, you’ll be able to ensure you apply the right amount of energy to operating the chair, while staying as comfortable as possible at the same time! . Of course, everyone’s needs are different and you may need to think more about your own requirements and factors to consider. Please feel free to get in touch and discuss this with one of our Product Specialists, who will be happy to contact you and answer any queries you might have.
