We saw an article today on Philly.com about wheelchair breakdowns increasing and we wanted to address some key points from the article.

In the article (which you can read here) results from a recent study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation were it says that “roughly 53% of wheelchair users reported at least one breakdown requiring repairs within six months – up from 45% between 2004 and 2006.” The study was based on results from 700 people with a spinal cord injury.

We at Redman Power Chair think this is a sad commentary on the state of the wheelchair market. What this research suggests is that some of our competitors are selling on price alone, resulting in lower quality chairs that they know Medicare and Medicaid reimburse for. While this meets the immediate needs of a large number of users, we have always built the best quality power chair available, no matter what the reimbursement amount is. It’s an important part of our mission statement – “To provide the finest standing power chair available supported by the best company in the business.”

Our chair may cost more, but we believe your quality of life is the most important thing and that the health benefits and durability of our product are well worth the extra cost. We realize not everyone can afford our chair, so as an outreach we have developed an affordable payment plan where customers can make payments on a new Redman Power Chair. This allows more people to afford a higher quality, more therapeutic reclining and standing wheelchair.

Contact our sales team or request a demo for more information.

Many people who can stand do not understand the amazing benefits of being able to do so. Such as independence and the naturally occurring health benefits from changing posture. When someone is forced to sit in one position for extreme amount of time, health problems will naturally occur. In fact, physicians have been documenting the benefits of standing devices for years throughout medical publications. Now, thanks to Redman Power chair, even people with spinal cord injuries can reap the health benefits of standing.

Physical Benefits of Standing Wheelchairs

Urinary Health – Urinary Tract Infections are common among people who are in wheelchairs. However, studies have shown that using a standing device or standing wheelchair can greatly decrease urinary tract infections.

Circulation – Changing posture helps the blood circulate around the body. For example, sitting in one position causes the blood to stagnate and reduce circulation to other places of the body.

Spasticity – Staying in one position, such as sitting, can cause muscle spasticity. Changing posture helps relax the muscles and reduce spasticity.

Bowel Function – Poor bowel function is a common complaint among wheel chair users. However, according to numerous studies, standing exercises can greatly improve bowel function. Even when using a standing wheelchair these results are the same.

Pressure Sores – Pressure sores occur from constant pressure on one area of the body. Being able to stand up in a wheelchair helps distribute your weight and improve healing of bed sores.

Contractures – Sitting for long periods of time may cause the joints and muscles to stiffen. Standing allows the muscles to get stretched and exercised, decreasing the amount of stiffness you experience in joints and muscles.

Bone Density – Some evidence shows that standing wheelchairs may increase bone density. This is because standing puts more weight on your bones than sitting.

Psychological Benefits of Standing Wheelchairs

Independence – Standing is the foundation of reclaiming independence. A few examples include being able to reach cupboards, change light-bulbs, and looking into a mirror at a regular level.

Increased cognition – Better circulation often means better cognition. Standing wheelchairs may help with certain cognitive tasks such as memory and focus.

Fatigue – Sitting or lying down for too long is a known cause for fatigue. Muscles may atrophy and quickly tire. Standing up helps exercises these muscles and reduce fatigue.

Depression – Depression is often caused by feeling a lack of control over certain situations. So it is no wonder why people confined to a wheelchair may suffer from depression. However, gaining the ability to stand, even with assistance, helps reclaim a certain amount of control and helps reduce depression.

Well Being – Wellbeing is dramatically increased by using a standing wheelchair. You can be on “the same level” when talking or communicating as others. You can also make eye contact, pose for photographs, hug standing up and much more.

Sources:

http://www.rstce.pitt.edu/RSTCE_Resources/Resna_position_on_wheelchair_standers.pdf

http://www.easystand.com/health-benefits/index.cfm

America’s top-selling power standing wheelchair has the ability to go off-road with its 4” ground clearance, four wheel independent suspension, and uneven ground compensation. Eat my dust!  Not only can the Redman Power Chair access your world indoors with it’s superior maneuverability and small footprint, it can also go outdoors to broaden your accessibility in challenging terrain.

To illustrate the off-road capabilities of the Redman Power Chair, we have put together the Eat My Dust video to show the off-road functionality. In the video we have outfitted our chair with the off-road drive wheels that are an available option. Even without the optional wheels, this chair is extremely capable of off-road driving. The optional wheels simply add more traction.

“We are thrilled that power chair users continue to improve the quality of their life by going anywhere, on any terrain,” says Sam Redman, Founder and Sales Manager of Redman Power Chair “The innovation behind the ground clearance and suspension is something we are very proud of.”

The 4” ground clearance has always been a feature of the Redman Power Chairs and all of the chairs are hand-built in the U.S. specific to each customer’s unique needs. It has unparalleled movement and numerous physical and psychological health benefits ranging from improved circulation to increased cognition. “Without a standing wheelchair or reclining wheelchair, users can encounter health problems.” Redman continued, “We make a chair that has always been healthier for the user and it can go on uneven, rough ground while still being stable and comfortable.”

Want to learn more? Call Sam Redman directly at (877)-377-1677 or schedule a free demo online, and we’ll bring a chair to you to try out.

Redman Power Chair is proud to announce the latest design technology for your standing power chair. Thousands of patterns and designs are available immediately for your power chair, including some of these fun designs:

• Carbon Fiber
• American Flag
• Camouflage
• Animal Prints
• Metal
• Stone
• Wood
• Floral patterns
• Zebra Patterns
• Skulls

The possibilities are nearly endless! Shown here is an example of a camouflage chair just delivered to Jessie Jackson in Orfino, Idaho. Contact us today to get a quote on your new chair with a fun new design. Watch for pictures of new designs in the coming months.

Shea Stickrod’s chair is almost 5 years old and he recently had the opportunity to come to Tucson so he paid us a visit. While he was here we gave him a tune-up and a tour of our facilities. Shea wanted to share how much the chair had changed his life and also how much he enjoyed the relationship that we have had over the years.

We are looking forward to updating Shea to a new Blackhawk in the near future!

If you are ever in Tucson, Arizona and would like a tour of our facility like Shea, stop by and we’ll give you a complimentary tune-up and a tour.

We put some Red in the Black Hawk! The new 2012 paint scheme has arrived. We added some red to our all black Redman Power Chair. Dare we compare our Black Hawk to a Ferrari, but we’re going to do it anyway. We hope you like our new “sporty” look with a splash of candy red on the front wheels and battery tray. It may not be as fast as a Ferrari, but now you can ride in style. Zoom into 2012 with candy red styling on your new Black Hawk.

Martin Montoya, Redman Power Chair’s new California representative and I recently delivered a new Chief Blackhawk 107ZRX to Perry in Mountain Lake, CA. As you can see from the video below, Perry is excited to use his new chair, and it’s no wonder. He’s finally able to stand for the first time in over 30 years! Being able to stand is a big deal to Perry, since he’s had a persistent pressure sore that will only go away if he’s able to take the pressure off the sore. Thanks to his new Blackhawk, he can do just that! Watch the video below to see his appreciation for his new found freedom.

Redman Power Chair appeared on the December 7th, 2011 segment of Manufacturing Marvels with John Criswell, during the Freedom Watch program on FOX Business Network. Manufacturing Marvels spotlights American manufacturers, their products, as well as each companies’ processes and customers. In this video, you will get to see a tour of our manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona and the fabrication process used to produce our Chief 107-ZRx standing, reclining power wheelchair.

We are proud to announce that we have been selected to appear on the December 7th segment of Manufacturing Marvels with John Criswell, during Freedom Watch on FOX Business Network. Redman was chosen because our power chairs are ingeniously balanced to tilt, stand, lift legs, and recline, and each chair is designed to meet each customer’s specifications and needs while providing maximum comfort, control, accessibility and ease of use. You will get to see a tour of our manufacturing facility and the fabrication process used to produce the highest quality standing power chair available on the market today.

Staying or moving in a stationary position for long periods can bring on a number of health related problems, such as Carpal Tunnel, ulcer problems, and muscle weakness. Having a wheelchair that allows the body frequent movement from the sitting position can help avoid some of these issues.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

We all use our hands all day long, be it for typing, cooking, cleaning, or just turning the television on or off. For wheelchair users, this is multiplied several times further because of the constant need to get in and out of the chair and then propel the wheels, often over long distances. Carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t just a computer issue. You might be surprised to know that it can be a major problem for wheelchair users, brought on by propelling a wheelchair all day long with repetitive motions. Half of wheelchair users get this injury that often has to be dealt with through surgery. This syndrome often begins with pain or tingling in the hands, moving up the arms. Eventually arms and hands are so painful that it becomes impossible to use them as normal.

Ulcer Problems

Most of you will have heard of the pressure ulcers that often affect seniors when they spend a long time lying in bed without moving. Wheelchair users can also suffer from pressure ulcers when they are in a chair for long periods. Pressure ulcers are caused by the unvarying pressure and friction of bed sheets and various materials in chairs. The ulcers develop in bony areas caused by the weight of the body on pressure points. These areas are difficult to heal with the cycle of further weight on the same pressure points. This makes the person unwilling to move because of the pain. Poor circulation also causes ulcers to appear. Regrettably, some medicines to help arthritis can also increase the chance of ulcers.

Muscle Weakness

Wheelchair users need to keep as fit as possible by being active or even playing sports to maintain body health. Without exercise other health problems begin to occur, brought on by an inactive or sedentary lifestyle. It’s a vicious cycle. Your muscles get weaker because of lack of exercise, and this includes the heart which needs to pump blood to your muscles. If your heart is weaker, you will find it harder to exercise. With age also comes the possibility for osteoporosis which can cause bones to break easier, resulting in further lack of mobility. Excess weight can add further strain to the heart and muscles. A healthy diet and load bearing activities are the best ways to prevent these problems. A DEXA scan (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) can see how load bearing activities have affected your bone strength.

Benefits of a Positionable Power Wheelchair

Depending on the funds available through savings or insurance, a powered wheelchair brings several advantages over a self powered chair to mitigate some of the health issues. While arm exercise will be reduced, which needs to be balanced by increasing other exercises, general health can be a major beneficiary, particularly for seniors who will lose arm power as age increases.

Some powered wheelchairs, such as the Redman Power Chair, allow movements that significantly aid good health. Having the chair allows you to move to a standing position, and the reverse, to a horizontal position (for example in a reclining chair), which can prove an advantage for many common day house and work responsibilities.

Improved breathing due to the position of the body and a significant reduction of pressure sores improves overall health and also both bowel and bladder functions. Blood flow and the functioning of the heart are also improved by such a chair. So despite these major health issues the right wheelchair choice can have a positive impact on your quality of life and that has to be a target for any wheelchair user.