Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system where parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. It is very common and about 1 in 40 will be diagnosed in their lifetime. The signs and symptoms usually develop gradually and are often very mild at first. The symptoms vary but most commonly affect physical movement with tremors.
Postural challenges are common with stooped posture, leaning to one side, neck and back pain, involuntary movements, rigidity and abnormal muscle tone with an increased risk of falls.
Specialist seating can help with most of these challenges by maintaining good posture and positioning. It provides postural support to the neck and frame giving a lot more comfort when seating ,which helps with breathing, swallowing, digestion and pain reduction. All these benefits protect the body from the effects of Parkinson’s and thereby reducing, or delaying, the risk of secondary complications.
The main benefits of good quality specialist seating are as follows:
- Multiple ways of providing adjustability to realign postural changes over time.
- Seating to encourage pelvic stability and avoid sliding down the chair.
- A reconfigurable backrest to accommodate and improve poor posture.
- Good head/neck support through adjustable headrest.
- Tilt-in-space functions provide a method of weight redistribution and allow for comfortable rest.
- Angle adjustable leg rests encourage better leg and knee support.
Rise and recline chairs work for many of the above for the less advanced Parkinson’s patients. All of these chairs are available in Murray’s although the Specialist seating require an assessment from trained experts and that’s why we do not have these chairs priced on the website as they are dependent on a prescription adding/removing options.
