The Right Wheelchair For Me
By Phillip Anderson
When I was looking for the right type of wheelchair for me, I didn’t realize how many wheelchairs are out there. While recovering from the ICU after a blood clot and losing a lot of muscle strength, I needed a wheelchair to get around. When I was trying to find the right wheelchair, I learned that comfort, seat size, and optional features could all affect mobility.
The first thing I did was figure out the best seat size. Although I didn’t plan to stay in a wheelchair for long, I wanted my time in rehabilitation to be comfortable. However, I also needed portability that was simple enough for my kids to handle when they transported me back and forth to physical therapy. I ended up choosing a flexible folding vinyl seat that had an optional seat cover that was comfortable and easy to clean.
I also needed to make sure the wheelchairs I tried were the right height as I have really long legs. I found that having adjustable leg supports was a real lifesaver when I needed to rest my legs after an especially hard workout. The padded supports were wonderful.
Since I was having issues with swelling in different parts of my body, my doctor recommended I look at wheelchairs that offered flexible back rests. The one I chose could be set to accommodate swelling, while still allowing me to be comfortably mobile. The adjustments were easy to make and sturdy once the pins were in the proper places.
I looked at several wheelchairs with electronics on them, but decided that I wanted to build up the strength in my arms by rotating the wheels myself. I was able to find a wheelchair with easy-to-grip wheels that had a bit of traction on them, so I could even go out and get my own mail.
Author Details:
Phillip Anderson writes for various websites including, Free article directories and The A to Z of with an interest in disability and mobility.
Article Source: http://wheelchairs.theatozof.com/
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