All of us, particularly those with physical impairments, need to sit in the best posture chair possible to avoid deformities developing or deteriorating. The key to good posture and a healthy spine is the pelvis being secure in an upright, neutral position while sitting. Using the best ergonomic office chair available can help to prevent future disabilities, and improve the quality of life for children and adults with special needs. The Bambach Saddle Seat is used by health professionals and carers worldwide as a posture chair, with case studies showing dramatic improvement for people with mild to severe disabilities aged from two to ninety years old.
This month, we discuss the advantages of using the Bambach Saddle Seat as an ergonomic chair for children and adults with special needs:
Postural Control
The first advantage of the Bambach is that it allows more postural control for people with disabilities. Many specially made seats are often bulky, cumbersome to move, and distort natural spinal alignment, with the result that function is actually impaired and can further disable and disempower those with special needs. In a Bambach saddle stool, the muscles of postural control are activated so that they can work in balance, rather than being inactive as in conventional seating and wheelchairs. We provide the best ergonomic office chair for postural control, helping users maintain an upright stable pelvis, and placing the hips in their optimal resting position of 45 degree flexion.
A Bambach posture chair helps make trunk and head control easier so that functional activity, such as speech and swallowing, is improved. It also helps the chest and abdomen to open up and maintain maximum space, so that breathing and digestion are easier, and allows individuals to bend forward from the hips rather than the waist. This allows both children and adults to maintain balance while reading and writing, even when leaning forward.
Read our case studies to learn more about how the Bambach ergonomic desk chair can improve postural control.
Functional Improvements
The Bambach saddle stool also offers several functional improvements for children and adults living with special needs. Our range of saddle seats encourage independent sitting, and facilitate upper limb and hand coordination. By promoting an upright posture, the individual’s muscles are actively engaged, rather than in an inactive and collapsed state as we see in conventional seats or wheelchairs. In many cases, the Bambach Saddle Seat has improved breathing, digestion, circulation and lung function in users through maintaining thoracic, abdominal and pelvic spaces in an open position.
By positioning the body with the centre of gravity over the seat bones, our saddle stools promote balance and symmetry, and aid coordination and dexterity. The active sitting position reduces the fatigue associated with poor posture, and encourages muscle activity and partial weight bearing with full plantar contact enabled. Providing a greater control of sensory output can also help reduce involuntary motor responses. These functional benefits are growing with every new and varied disability case, improving quality of life for the individual as well as for their families and friends.
Each Bambach chair is tailored specifically to meet individual needs and requirements. Browse our range of ergonomic desk chairs to find the best saddle stool for you.
Positive Social and Psychological Impact
Another advantage of the Bambach is the way it can positively impact the self-esteem and independence of users. This is particularly important for the healthy psychological development of children. Most disabled children wish to be as much like other children as possible, participating in school activities, excursions, family outings and other activities like their peers. Wheelchairs can inhibit socialisation, with disabled children unable to easily see or communicate with others because of the bulk of the seat. With a Bambach posture chair, maintaining an upright posture, eye contact and speech all become easier, making socialising more natural.
We pride ourselves on providing the best ergonomic office chair to facilitate enhanced functional ability and mobility. In conventional seating, poor posture can inhibit writing, drawing and the use of educational equipment, resulting in learning deficiencies. With a saddle stool, writing, schoolwork and performance in hobbies improve due to increased efficiency and the ability to control the upper body and arms in an upright, stable position. The Bambach Saddle Seat can also improve self-esteem in users, who are able to perform personal self-care tasks such as meal preparation, washing and dressing more easily than in a wheelchair.
On our Bambach Accessories page, you will find a range of special needs accessories to increase mobility including the H-harness, which offers additional body stability, and the LAP Strap, for our customers who require the option of being clipped into their seat for safety or added pelvic support.
Growth In Children And Adolescents
Finally, using the Bambach Saddle Seat can stimulate normal bone growth in children and adolescents. In both children and teenagers, muscles and tendons often grow at unpredictably differing rates. Conventional seating and wheelchairs are not designed to allow for healthy growth, which can create deformities in the future. In a Bambach posture chair, muscle activity and movement is increased due to the dynamic sitting position, stimulating bone growth. Muscle length and range of movement in the joints are also maintained in our ergonomic desk chair because of the half-stand position of the Bambach, righting reactions as well as midline alignment.
The Bambach is the original saddle seat, designed and manufactured in Australia by occupational therapist Mary Gale. Our saddle stools are tested by AFRDI to the highest standards and are recommended by health professionals worldwide.
Contact one of our experienced staff members today to discuss how the Bambach Saddle Seat can be customised to suit individuals and help a wide range of special needs conditions. It is also recommended that you contact your healthcare provider, as you may be eligible for funding and a trial of a posture chair in your home, workplace or school.