Standing – What Does it mean to you? Maybe independence or mobility. But for some people, it means more than just a feeling of independence or mobility, it is the feeling of being alive or human. Once that ability to stand up is taken away, it gives the feeling of inadequacy, dependence, weakness and not being a normal human being. This is the sad reality for many people who are confined to wheelchairs for quite possibly the remainder of their lives. Medical science has a long way to come before inventing the cure for paralysis it could be over a hundred years before this health condition is resolved. So if the medical community cant help paralyzed people stand again what options do they have? Well the good news is, there is some options to stand again.
Standing wheelchairs allow paralyzed people to function on a normal basis again. Sure, they don’t cure paraplegia but they do make standing an option again. Standing wheelchairs are created in a very innovative way to allow users to incline themselves fully upright to their regular and full body height. They can also move forward in a standing position to simulate walking which is available with standing power chairs. The ability to stand gives users many benefits for both mental and physical health.
Physical health benefits include better circulation, higher levels of good cholesterol and decreased occurrence of bed sores. The ability to stands helps pump blood to extremities and organs that may be cut off from the pressure of remaining in one posture all day everyday. Also being able to move out of one single position can reduce bed sores by also removing pressure on specific areas of the body. This allows bed sores to heal at an accelerated rate by also preventing them from occurring. Other physical benefits include increased bladder and bowel function along with increases in natural muscle tone.
The mental benefits of being able to stand again are also numerous. Just being on the same level as someone you love can be extremely uplifting. This means instead of everyone having to “come down” to your level to speak, hug or kiss you, you can actually come up to them. They no longer have to adapt to your situation, but you can adapt to theirs. This gives a sense of control over your condition and gives you the choice of mobility and function again. Other benefits are obvious being able to see in a crowd, being able to reach objects high on shelves and much more.
