Paraplegic Gears/Tools of the Month: Lumbar Baby

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Short, simple. Gear of the month.

The Problem:

If you’re in a wheelchair, or sit down for any length of time, then you’re likely to have bad posture. It’s not your fault. Most seats aren’t designed for great posture.

My car, and most others, have bucket seats that really sink you in. As soon as I sit in my car, I can feel the poor posture, and for the many hours I’ve spent driving, it’s crazy to think I would ever tolerate such a seat.

The same goes for my wheelchair, I find that it sucks me in and I struggle to sit up straight. Not only do I look less cool, but I feel less awesome.

I don’t know of many backrests on wheelchairs that have lumbar support, same for most chairs, couches, and cars.

I’m definitely not a doctor. I don’t eat veggies, and that instantly disqualifies me, but at the end of this post, there will be an article to shock you with how unhealthy sitting is and if you don’t believe it still, try and find credible sources that say sitting IS healthy. You’ll probably find some because the internet has a knack for that, but then go to medical school and see if you still don’t believe sitting is bad. Or just sit for a while and see how you feel.

This issue is especially important with those in wheelchairs who sit quite literally all day. Having a straight back and good posture will go a very long way, as will adequate back exercises.

The solution:

Lumbar support for paraplegics.

Invest in your health and you’ll live longer to invest in whatever else you please.

Here are some options that I find agreeable:

For the wheelchair: The Original McKenzie Slimline Lumbar Support

Let me tell you, this is about the only suitable one I could find. In a wheelchair, you don’t need much, and a lot of them are overwhelming. This is slim enough, it shouldn’t push you so far forward and out of your chair.