It’s A Pain In The Butt!

It’s a pain in the butt!

How our seats are causing us pain - not just in the “butt” - but - neck, legs, everywhere!

Have you ever really noted how so many seats are manufactured as “bucket seats”?  Front seats in motorcars are a perfect example, although this is changing slowly. Aeroplane seats. Many lounge seats. Seats in cinemas.

Can anyone remember when new cars, including family cars, were promoted as having “bucket seats” as if this were a good thing?  A bucket seat is a car seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from the kind of flat bench seat that many cars had, even in the front, in the old days!!! In its simplest form it is a rounded seat for one person with high sides, but may have curved sides also. A bucket seat was meant to be synonymous with luxury and comfort - but in fact the reverse was usually the case for most people, and the same applies today. Although things are slowly improving.

It is important to sit such that your thighs are relatively parallel to the ground. Knees should not be higher than the pelvis, these structures should be in alignment. If your knees are higher than your pelvis when sitting, your pelvis tips too far back, like a slouch position. An extreme bucket seat can cause distortions in your natural skeletal sitting mechanisms, possibly exposing the sciatic nerve to pressure, leading to sciatica and leg pain. A pain in the butt!

If you find that any of the seats in your life - including office chairs and wheelchairs - cause this slouching effect due to their concave, bucket shape, you can often improve things by sitting on a slim wedge-shaped pillow (highest bit at the back) and/or using lumbar support, or other techniques that can be explained to you by a qualified therapist, such as a Physiotherapist or an Occupational Therapist. The right posture support is everything!

How we can help you

Gong Life Care Solutions is a mobility equipment supplier in Wollongong, south of Sydney. We hear a lot about the challenges people face in living safely and independently if they are elderly, or living with disabilities.  We can help you, if you or someone you care for needs a light but strong wheelchair to increase safety and mobility. We have products to suit both home care situations, and aged care facilities. Our products are the latest in assistive technology and rehab supplies - designed in Europe for quality and safety.

The most comfortable, most healthy, off-the-shelf wheelchairs

We are suppliers of the award-winning STRONGBACK Wheelchair. It’s an ergonomic, posture-support folding wheelchair. It was a big hit at the Independent Living EXPO earlier this year in Sydney.

Gong Life Care Solutions had an exhibitor stand, and we demonstrated many of our quality European-made products.

Our Swiss design STRONGBACK wheelchair attracted a lot of attention, particularly from Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Physiotherapists, because it’s an award-winning lightweight, folding, manual wheelchair (It won a German design award in its class, last year!). It’s practical and comfortable for both users and attendants/carers.

We were demonstrating two models, our STRONGBACK 24, which can be propelled by the user or by an attendant, and the STRONGBACK Excursion transit wheelchair. Both chairs are known as posture support ergonomic wheelchairs, due to the inbuilt structural design, which supports the lumbar area, encouraging improved posture and reducing pain and discomfort.  All the OTs at the Expo just had to sit in the chairs, and commented favourably on their comfort and great support. One OT actually said - “It’s so comfortable!  I want this for my office!”

All our visitors could see the benefit of the design and the light frame and easy folding.  One person browsing for new ideas for a family member stated:

 “the design is really impressive! It would really increase the comfort and tolerance for my mum, even though she wouldn’t be sitting in it all the time”

and another

“It’s much lighter than the chair we’ve got. It’s so easy to slip the big wheels off and lock the footrests for getting it into the car. I really have to watch my back”

Back care

We consider that the most important feature of the STRONGBACK wheelchair is that it encourages healthier sitting for the wheelchair user, with natural spinal positioning so that constant readjustment is not required to remain comfortable, and chronic discomfort and pain can be minimized.  The integrated lumbar support can be adjusted to suit individual need with regard to placement and firmness.  No bucket seats to see here! 

The STRONGBACK has also been designed with carers and attendants in mind. The push handles are ergonomically designed, and are spaced wide apart to maximise control when pushing. The wheelchair folds up in a matter of seconds and requires minimal storage space. The backrest folds completely flat against the frame as do the footrests, which easily fold and lock to the side, no need to remove them. The Excursion attendant model weighs 10kgs total, or 9.00kgs if footrests are removed for lifting.

Independent users

Independent wheelchair users can also enjoy the benefits of an ultralight folding chair, with our new STRONGBACK 24 manual self-propel wheelchair, which has 61cm/24” quick-release wheels. This model won the German Design Award in its category, in 2018.  It weighs just 7.9kg with wheels and footrests removed – for example for putting into a vehicle - however it has a user weight capacity of 135kg.  This means it suits a wide variety of users and can be easily lifted and placed in a car boot.

Buy online

Gong Life Care Solutions is an Australian owned and operated supplier of active mobility systems.  Our team is dedicated to assisting you with your enquiries. You can order directly online, or contact us for other options.  We deliver free, anywhere in Australia. Gong Life Care Solutions 

We invite you to look at the models on our website: STRONGBACK Wheelchairs

Contact us on 1300 907 280, Tues to Fri, 8.00 am – 5.00 pm AEDT

We deliver free anywhere in Australia.