Stay Comfortable in Your Wheelchair All Day Long

When you’re in a wheelchair, whether you have been using one for a long time or are new to it, you’ve probably noticed how uncomfortable it can get over the day. It comes with a laundry list of health concerns and discomforts.

If you’re in a wheelchair, chances are, you’re going to spend the entirety of your day in it. You should expect to get the most comfort possible from your wheelchair as you’d like. This can be impossible with a traditional wheelchair seat which is surprisingly not designed well to fit the human body.

You may feel like you’re stuck with the discomfort that your wheelchair inflicts, but you don’t have to be. Here’s a guide to the problems that arise from the use of traditional wheelchair seats and how to find a wheelchair cushion that keeps you comfortable in your wheelchair for the entire day.

Uneven Pressure Distribution

When you sit in a wheelchair all day, your body weight is distributed and carried primarily in your hips and coccyx. A traditional wheelchair seat acts as a sling and creates a wonky, uneven distribution of weight among these points.

You may feel that you can’t seem to say sitting straight up in your wheelchair, and that is due to this uneven distribution. Having too much pressure but in your coccyx or just one of your hips can lead to some serious joint problems over time, and at the very least, causes aching and soreness in those over-stressed points.

A good quality wheelchair cushion will be made of high-quality memory foam that works to actively balance out these pressure points and distribute your weight in a way that eliminates the stress on your joints that can come from daily wheelchair use.

Uncomfortable Heat

Another one of the biggest problems that arise from wheelchair use is the uncomfortable heat in your seat. Most traditional wheelchair seats are made from heat-retaining vinyl or leather. After a long day, this can lead to sitting in your wheelchair feeling like sitting in a hot car with leather seats. All day. The discomfort is serious.

Not to mention, that accumulation of all-day heat can lead to a collection of moisture in your seat, which isn’t good for anyone. We’ve all suffered from having a sweaty rear end in the summertime, and when you sit in a wheelchair all day, that eventually happens regardless of the temperature.

A good wheelchair cushion will have cooling gel and ventilation to keep the heat and moisture from getting too out of control, keeping you safe from the frequent discomfort caused by too much heat in your wheelchair.

Risk of Infections

A big problem that can arise from wheelchair use is infections and sores. These issues are primarily caused by the heat and moisture mentioned earlier.

Getting sores and infections causes you to spend some time resting and healing, limiting you from more activity. Even sitting in your wheelchair becomes not only uncomfortable but unbearable, as the irritation only exacerbates your sores and causes them to take longer to heal.

With the right wheelchair cushion, not only can these sores and infections be avoided in the first place, but existing sores will be easier to manage. Due to the cooling gel and better ventilation, you don’t have to worry about having even more heat and moisture in your seat, prolonging infection.

You Deserve the Comfort

It is well worth the investment to get yourself a high-quality wheelchair cushion that will change your whole wheelchair experience drastically for the better. After all, if you’re going to be spending all day in your wheelchair, you need it to be as comfy as possible.