| THIS MONTH: THE RIGHT SEATING SETUP CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE | | |
Unless
you use a wheelchair full-time, it’s almost impossible to understand
how make or break the right seating and positioning setup be can for
your health, wellbeing and functionality. A bad seating system means
constantly swimming upstream, battle balance, spasms, blood pressure and
any number of complications. Dialing in a good setup can be life
changing. It means that you have more time, energy, independence and
choice in how you go about your day.
Finding the right setup typically involves finding the right components –
think cushion and backrest – and the right wheelchair materials and
measurements to work for you. | |
Does your seating system really support you?
Kalogon's reimbursable seating system combines Orbiter Med, a custom
wheelchair cushion, with Bondar, a 3D-printed adjustable back support.
Together, they support posture, stability, and skin integrity. For more
info, call 321.465.4504. | |
A COMPONENT IS MORE THAN AN ACCESSORY
In 2018, NM Editor-in-Chief, Ian Ruder, wrote about his conversion to a Ride Seating System
for his power wheelchair. That system, by providing a blend of pressure
relief and postural support that was unlike anything he’d experienced
before, changed his life. But he acknowledged that the system doesn’t
work for everyone. I tried a custom Ride cushion around the same time
and wound up with increased edema in my lower legs, back pain and a lot
more spasms. “There is no simple “one-fits-all solution” when it comes
to the complicated needs of our community,” Ruder wrote. “But there are
more good options now than there ever have been.”
Eight years later, Ruder found that his latest seating system was no
longer working for his body and he tried a setup with a Ride cushion and
Kalogon’s new, super-adjustable Bondar backrest.
He found that it got him back into his happy place: the freedom and
mobility needed to work from and drive his chair, combined with the
pressure relief and postural support to keep his skin and bones healthy.
To find the products that work best for you, it pays to know the right
people and to have some patience. First is finding out what other gimps
are using. Peer support groups, your local United Spinal Chapter
and adaptive sports events are great places to find wheelchair users
with different levels of function. Don’t be afraid to pick their brains
on what they like and don’t about their chairs and components — people
love talking about their gear. Then, you need to assemble the right
team. Bob Vogel’s “How to Get the Best Wheelchair Setup for Your Lifestyle”
goes into the types of questions you should ask to improve your
wheelchair setup and also what to look for in a therapist, ATP and DME
vendor. | |
You
also need to do your research. Even if you are going through a DME
vendor, spend some time perusing online mobility stores like DMEHub or Living Spinal to see what options are currently available and what their features. I wrote the Gear Guide “How to Choose the Best Wheelchair Cushion for You”
to explain the various types of wheelchair cushions and what you need
to consider — from stability, to postural support, pressure relief,
durability and more.
Once you find the right product, it can be hard to imagine life without
it. Jarom Hlebasko spent years battling pressure sores until he found
the SofTech cushion from Aquila Corporation, which allowed his skin to
heal and stay healthy even as he resumed his active life, working
full-time, and raising three daughters. When the company’s owners
retired and shut down the business, Hlebasko and his brother decided to buy the company.
“From the beginning, what was important to us was that someone would
continue to make this product so others can find relief just like I
did,” he says. | |
MEASUREMENTS AND MATERIALS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
My own life changing seating story came in a couple of acts. It started
when I got my first everyday wheelchair with ergo seating. Ergo seating
simply means that the frame rail of wheelchair extends horizontally for a
few inches before angling up to create the seat dump. This creates a
pocket that allows your pelvis to sit more naturally. As a C7 quad,
having ergo seating was revelatory. For the first time I felt like I
could really lean forward into my push like I do in a rugby wheelchair.
For the first time I felt like I could sit without slouching and still
stay upright.
That seating system felt great, but the chair was made out of aluminum
and rattled and wore out within a couple of years. It wasn’t until I got
a titanium wheelchair with ergo seating in 2020 that I felt like I had
something special. As I wrote in “My Quest to Find the Right Wheelchair”
“It’s comfortable to sit in. I can push miles in the city without my
shoulders or neck hurting, and the front casters float over grass and
dirt when I’m out in the country. When I run errands, I can lift the
frame into the car without my bicep feeling like it’s about to detach
from my shoulder. Titanium and carbon fiber may seem like a luxury, but
not when you’re trying to keep your body from imploding by the age of
40.” | |
A
big part of that story was how impossible it was to get insurance to
pay for that chair. Things have only gotten worse since. That’s why
United Spinal is fighting for a new bill that would require Medicare to
create new codes that would allow suppliers to bill consumers for the
cost of an upgrade to a titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair. Would it be
better if insurance covered the true cost of ultralight wheelchairs?
Absolutely. But this bill would at least let you get some titanium or
carbon chairs without having to pay the full cost out of pocket. You
should tell your Congress members to support it.
If you can’t get a new wheelchair, check out “Getting a Good Setup with Bad Wheelchair Reimbursement” and “Dial in Your Seating Position without Changing Your Chair.”
Both go in depth on the tweaks — from front and rear seat height, to
center of gravity and backrest angle — that can help you maximize the
chair you do have. And when it comes to your seating setup, small
changes can make a huge difference. | | |
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