How important is it for older people to choose the right
Chair?
The ergonomics department of Waseda University in Japan specifically conducted a study on "the relationship between the elderly and chairs", and found that appropriate chairs can not only allow the elderly to get a comfortable rest, but also provide effective protection for the waist and neck, reducing the occurrence of various low back diseases and accidents.
The characteristics of the elderly are lumbar aging, cervical discomfort, osteoporosis, fatigue and so on. Therefore, for the elderly, it is particularly critical to protect the waist and neck, slow down the aging rate, and reduce the probability of diseases and accidents. As children, we should choose a suitable chair for the old man.
First, the chair back is large and strong, and has armrests, so that the old man's waist can be pressed against the back of the chair, and can support the old man's head and shoulders. The Eight Immortals chair is not bad. It has a wooden back and is very strong.
Old people had better not sit on the stool for a long time. When sitting on a stool, it is natural to bend or sit up straight, which requires the muscles and ligaments around the lumbar spine to remain tense. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to soft tissue strain around the lumbar spine.
Secondly, the height of the chair should be at knee level, that is, when the elderly sit, their feet can be placed on the ground. At the same time, the length of the seat should be equal to the length of the hip to the knee for the elderly, so that the knee joint is just about 90 degrees and the ankle joint is at rest with a natural droop.
If the chair is too low, the elderly will move more when they stand up and are prone to falling due to unstable gravity. Sitting too low, the knee joint will be excessive flexion, compression of lower limb veins, so that the blood flow is slow, difficult to return, easy to form thrombus, but also to the elderly cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system burden. Moreover, long-term knee flexion can aggravate knee osteoarthritis in the elderly.
Third, the chair should have a certain weight, 3-4 kilograms is preferable. If it is too light, it will be difficult to maintain some stability and easy to slip. The material of the chair should not be too soft. Soft chairs or sofas can cause muscle strains that make it difficult to stand up. Wooden or rattan chairs are best. Rattan chair is both breathable and elastic, it is best to add a cushion. You can also place a soft cushion on a wooden chair and a footstool under your feet to keep your legs flat and prevent lower limb ischemia.
It is recommended that the elderly should stretch their legs forward to form an obtuse Angle between their calves and thighs when standing, so as to reduce the burden of standing, and then help the elderly master balance with the help of family members. Old people with pulleys should not sit in the swivel chair, because the stability of the swivel chair is poor. The waist needs to keep the chair stable, easy to fatigue. For some elderly people, frequent sitting in a rocking chair can cause discomfort such as dizziness, and standing up can cause accidents. In addition, the elderly should not stand up hastily or violently. They should rely on objects around them for support, or use non-slip canes to stand up slowly in stages.
