Other Cushioning Options

What is an immersion style wheelchair cushion?

Part 6 in our Wound Care Guide series.SeePart 1,Part 2,Part 3,Part 4, and Part 5.Check out our comprehensive, digital Wound Care Guide here.

Immersion is another principle of pressure distribution, neither better nor worse than offloading. Whether it is better or worse depends completely on the patient’s individualized needs and what you as a therapist are trying to achieve.
Recall that the principle of offloading is redistributing pressure away from a small surface area onto a greater surface area that can withstand the constant pressure better, making a patient less likely to sustain a pressure injury.
Immersion, on the other hand, is the principle of conforming to the person’s curvature by “sinking the body in.” We allow the cushion and/or back support to take the body’s shape, alleviating the bony prominences from unwanted peak pressure to maximize pressure redistribution.

Without ImmersionPeak pressures under the ITs
With ImmersionEven pressure redistribution over entire gluteal surface

The Reality of Chronic Pain for Wheelchair Users

Part 3 in our series focusing on wheelchair solutions for Veterans. See Part 1 and Part 2.

The Reality of Chronic Pain for Wheelchair Users
Chronic pain is an unfortunate fact of daily life for many wheelchair users. Sometimes the pain is related to an injury, and other times it is related to being in a wheelchair for extended periods of time. Thankfully, there are some very effective pain management options available to wheelchair users.

What in the construction of an offloading wheelchair cushion allows for pressure redistribution?

Part 5 in our Wound Care Guide series.SeePart 1,Part 2,Part 3, and Part 4.Check out our comprehensive, digital Wound Care Guidehere.

Through the built-in contours of an offloading style cushion, the therapist can help align and stabilize the spine, pelvis, and LEs to allow the pressure and shear forces to be transferred from a smaller surface area to a greater surface area. The contours needed for offloading pressure are: