Wheelchair Seating & Positioning Flashcards
Neurologic benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
- “Normalize tone”
- Decrease influence of pathological reflexes
- Increase stability and minimize patient effort required because of
proper body alignment - Facilitate orientation to midline and vertical position
musculoskeletal benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
- Increase and maintain ROM
- Prevent structural deformity
cognitive benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
Increase level of alertness
2. Increase interaction with environment
Physiological benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
- Improve/maintain maximal respiratory status
- Improve function of the autonomic nervous system
- Prevent decubiti
functional benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
- Facilitate maximal function within pathological movements
- Increase ease of care
a. Increase comfort
b. Increase sitting tolerance - Improve safety
Psychological benefits of proper wheelchair positioning
- Maximize social acceptability
- Increase interaction with environment/others
Physiologic factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Tracheostomy
- Medical complications such as fractured rib, open head wounds, shunt
- Pain
Neurologic factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Abnormal tone
- Pathological reflexes
Neurological factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning - Tactile System
a. Hyper-responsive (withdraw from supporting surface)
b. Hypo-responsive (absent or limited sensation)
Neurologic factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning - Visual System
a. Blindness
b. Hyper-responsive (visually distractible)
c. Perceptual- impaired body image and orientation to
midline and vertical
d. Involuntary movements
Neurologic factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning- Vestibular System
a. Hyper-responsive (anxiety or upset with some postural
changes)
b. Hypo-responsive (righting and equilibrium responses
depressed; may be constant excessive movement to get
feedback from vestibular in order to orient to gravity)
Musculoskeletal factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Joint contractures
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle imbalance
Cognitive factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Decreased short term memory
- Decreased response to stimuli in environment
- Increased level of agitation and disordered behavioral responses
- Decreased safety awareness
Psychosocial factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Decreased interaction with environment
- Non-acceptance by patient or family
- Decreased communication skills
Functional factors that interfere with proper wheelchair positioning
- Difficulty propelling chair
- Difficulty transferring
- Impaired voluntary movements
Flexible Deformity
- Examiner can manually correct the position
- The seating system must have components that correct and enhance the desired position because the patient cannot maintain it independently
Fixed Deformity
- Patient is sitting in an abnormal posture and examiner
cannot manually correct the position - The recommended seating must compensate for this deformity and support the patient in this posture.
- Help decrease the progression of the deformity and minimize excessive pressures from the deformity
Positioning Sequence
- pelvic position
- posterior thigh provided with maximum support
- seat belt angled 45 or 90 degrees to the sitting surface
- knees, hips, and angles flexed to 90 degrees
- feet flat on supporting surface (WBing through heel and sole of foot)
- trunk in proper alignment
- head in proper alignment
- upper extremity positioning
Pelvic Position
Need stable base. Want stable, neutral pelvis
a. Symmetrical midline orientation
b. Level pelvis
c. Slight anterior tilt