What to know about Custom Wheelchairs After a Spinal Cord Injury

What is Happening to Your Body Right Now

In the weeks and months after a SCI, your body is still figuring itself out, like new sensations, strength variability, spasms, and general body control. That is normal and exactly why a wheelchair needs to be built around your body with room to adapt as things change.

That’s where an Assistive Technology Professionals (ATP) steps in. An ATP is wheelchair specialist that is specifically trained and certified to match mobility products to your body’s needs, your goals, and your environmental demands--- making you as independent as possible (and as safe as possible). Westpeak Mobility’s ATPs work with individuals like you across the Colorado Front Range- Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder and Pueblo to build a wheelchair that fits you.  

Meeting Your Assistive Technology Professional

During your first wheelchair evaluation you will meet with your Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and Physical (or Occupational) Therapist to address your goals, demands of your home and community environment, and a complete body assessment to determine what support you will need. We take precise body measurements to custom order your wheelchair which complements preventative measures while allowing for a more independent, smooth mobility. You can learn more about our seating and positioning process in our previous blog,  “Westpeak Mobility Unique Wheelchair Seating & positioning Evaluations”.  

Manual Wheelchair or Power Wheelchair?

Manual Wheelchairs work well for those with an incomplete or a lower-level spinal cord injury. A large component of this is analyzing your strength/activation of your shoulders, arms, and trunk. Having full or partial use of your arms can indicate you are a good candidate for a manual wheelchair. Additional components to consider is history of shoulder integrity (do you have arthritis? History of shoulder injuries?), your home/community environmental demands, ability to transfer, and personal goals/preference. An ultralight, rigid-frame manual wheelchair that is properly fitted will allow you to access your daily environment and help sustain strength and comfort for the daily pushes life requires!

Power Wheelchairs help accommodate the loss of arm, trunk, and head movement. Those that have a high-level spinal cord injury or have multiple comorbidities with a spinal cord injury can benefit from a power wheelchair. Power wheelchairs allow individuals to control movement with the ease of using a joystick or alternative drive options. Power wheelchairs also have the ability to be independent with pressure relief or assist with extended.  

Why Custom Fit Isn’t Just About Comfort

Custom fit really matters; it’s not just about comfort. Seat width and depth, backrest height, type of cushion, side guards, type of wheels (list goes on) directly impact your ability to move independently regardless of getting a power or manual wheelchair. A poor fitting seating system can contribute to poor posture, pain, spasms, pressure sores, and/or shoulder strain down the line. All of which impacts your ability to enjoy life’s activities and your independence.  

Your Wheelchair Can (and should) Change as You Do

Here is something worth knowing, your wheelchair isn’t a one-time decision! If you have an incomplete spinal cord injury, you may gain muscle activation or grow stronger. If you have medical complications, you could develop musculoskeletal imbalance (scoliosis, kyphosis), arthritis, or experience muscle atrophy. Westpeak can assess and make changes on your current wheelchair to ensure your wheelchair is not holding you back. We will dive into improving your current custom wheelchair in Part 2!  

Schedule Your Free Wheelchair Evaluation

Whether you're newly navigating life with a spinal cord injury or you've been using a wheelchair for years and suspect it isn't serving you the way it should, our ATP-certified team is here to help.  

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