- Explain to the patient that their legs can support up to 30% of their body weight, even if they do not have direct control over their muscles. This will decrease the amount of stress on the shoulders. (Rice et al., 2013)
- More evidence confirms that the mean vertical component for the reaction force recorded underneath the feet is approximately 25% of the body weight during the lift phase (Tanimoto et al., 2008, Gagnon et al., 2008)
Alternative to increasing stability
- If the wheelchair user will not place their feet on the ground, stability can be increased by instructing the patient to have their caster wheels facing backwards, this will increase the stability of the wheelchair by increasing the base of support (Wheelchair Skills Training Program, 2013)
Back to Stability
