If you're having trouble moving around and you're looking for a way to enhance your mobility, or perhaps you already have a wheelchair and are looking for one that better suits your needs, you should know that there are many different options on today's market.
In this article, we present an overview of mobility products - from traditional manual chairs to power chairs to lightweight travel wheelchairs.
Traditional manual chairs: these wheelchairs are best suited to individuals whose mobility problems include only their legs.
They must have good upper body strength in order to be mobile in these kinds of chairs.
The chairs themselves are of moderate weight and somewhat maneuverable.
It is important to keep in mind that people who control a manual chair may have changing medical needs down the road and require a power chair, and that using a manual chair can cause repetitive stress injuries.
Power chairs: these chairs are great for people who do not have the upper-body strength to maneuver a traditional manual chair, but yet want to retain independence.
Power chairs are controlled by a device such as a joystick, which can be customized to be controlled by the hand, chin, or other body part as desired.
A problem with power chairs is that they can be heavy and difficult to travel with.
Mobility scooter: this device is very similar to a power chair, but is usually purchased outside of the medical device market.
Lighter weight, lower cost, and with fewer features, these chairs are a good choice for people with mild mobility problems and age-related mobility problems.
However, like power chairs, they are difficult to travel with.
Lightweight travel wheelchairs: these specialized chairs solve the difficulties many people have in travelling with a wheelchair.
Since they are ultra-light, they can be picked up, folded, and stowed easily.
Travel wheelchair options include manual or powered, a variety of fun colors, and medical options such as a reclining back rest or extra padding on the seat area.
Most people with lightweight travel wheelchairs discover that traveling with a wheelchair is a breeze, since the chair can be folded and stowed when traveling by car, or stowed as cargo when traveling by air.
No matter what your medical and mobility needs, there is a mobility device out there that can help you become more independent.
When deciding on a mobility device, the most important factors to take into account are upper body strength and travel needs.
In this article, we have given an overview of the most popular types of wheelchair in order to help you make this very important choice.