6 Types of Wheelchairs, and Medical Conditions That Require It

Healthbeautyidea.com | Types of Wheelchairs, and Medical Conditions That Require It – The presence of a wheelchair is very helpful for some people who have difficulty moving to be able to go about their daily activities. For example, people with physical disabilities, elderly people who are already weak, people who have had their legs amputated due to certain things or conditions (amputees), or who are recovering from certain injuries or diseases.

Medical conditions that require a wheelchair

Wheelchairs are commonly used by persons who have problems walking or moving their bodies to move to other places. Depending on the condition of the cause, a person may need to use a wheelchair only temporarily or during his or her life.

For example, if a person has a fracture and is advised not to burden the leg too heavily. It is likely that he will need a wheelchair until his condition recovers. Meanwhile, people who experience total paralysis from waist to toe due to accidents or certain diseases may need these aids forever.

Here are the health conditions that need these tools:

• Experiencing total paralysis
• Having musculoskeletal problems
• Suffered fractures or injuries to the legs and feet.
• Having neurological problems
• Having problems with balance or gait
• Unable to walk long distances.

If you are considering or advised to use a wheelchair, what should you choose?

Different types of wheelchairs

Types of wheelchairs based on how they are moved

Manual wheelchairs

The first and most common type is a manual wheelchair. You’ve seen this type of wheelchair a lot, haven’t you? To use a manual wheelchair is very easy, namely only by being pushed by others or driven by its users using their hands. Manual wheelchairs can be used for all activities. But unfortunately this wheelchair is less suitable for use by those who have disabilities in the hand, unless someone else helps push his wheelchair.

Electric wheelchair

Unlike manual wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs are equipped with electronic control systems to facilitate the mobility of their users, so they do not need to control the wheelchair manually by moving the wheels using their hands. This electric wheelchair is actually more intended for those whose motor skills are inadequate to use a manual wheelchair or who have heart / breathing problems so they are unable to push the wheelchair themselves.

To run it, users can only simply take advantage of the lever located on the hand. The lever can be used to run a wheelchair (forward/backward), change the direction of the wheelchair (turn left / right), and stop the wheelchair while running.

Types of wheelchairs based on their intended use

Health or rehabilitation wheelchair

This type of wheelchair is usually equipped with special technology that is useful for health. This wheelchair is widely used in hospitals for medical purposes. Wheelchairs for health have derivative divisions according to their function. One of them is a wheelchair to repair posture damage or correction deformity.

Sports wheelchair

Sports wheelchairs are used by Paralympic athletes. Some sports that use wheelchairs include basketball,  para athletics, archery, tennis, and cycling. Sports wheelchairs have lightweight materials, special balance, and flexibility.

In some sports, this wheelchair even has additional wheels. In addition to maintaining balance, additional wheels function to maneuver. The price of one sports wheelchair Starting from 7,000 dollars. 

Types of wheelchairs based on their users

There are types of wheelchairs that are customized based on the user. Among others:

Bariatric wheelchair

This type of wheelchair is a type of manual specifically aimed at obese people. This tool is larger than the common type because it must be able to accommodate loads of up to 300 kilograms, if other wheelchairs are only able to support a maximum weight of 100 kilograms. Because people with obesity every time it is difficult to do activities like normal humans in general, even walking even though usually obese people who weigh more than 100 kg will be difficult to do so.

Pediatric wheelchair

This wheelchair is for small children. Most of these wheelchairs have a variety of motifs and colors so that with small people are happy to wear them. The maximum weight of this wheelchair is around 50 kg and is commonly used for children suffering from Cerebral palsy, a disorder of the brain that makes parts of his body experience disorders such as difficulty maintaining body balance.