Why are arm rests important?

Author: Sharon Jang | Reviewer: Emma M. Smith | Published: 25 May 2020 | Updated: ~

Arm rests on wheelchairs serve multiple purposes and offer more benefits than simply acting as a place to rest the arms. In addition to acting as an arm rest, this part is also used to help maintain posture, redistribute pressure, and to enhance functioning (e.g., transfers, stability). The benefit of using armrests is dependent on an individual’s level of injury and abilities. An individual with more control of their torso and arms will be less likely to need armrests. Some active individuals tend to find that arm rests get in the way.

Using armrests can help maintain a good seated posture for an individual using a wheelchair. By supporting the arms and forearms, weight is alleviated from the shoulders. Without armrests, the weight of your arms may pull your shoulder down, resulting in a hunched position. It is also important that your armrests are set to an appropriate height. Armrests that are too low may require the individual to lean forward to use the armrest, which may lead to hunching. If the armrests are too high, the shoulders may be pushed up too high, which can lead to discomfort.

Armrests can act as a source of support for repositioning to alleviate pressure on the sit bones. Weak evidence suggests that individuals with

paraplegia

rely on armrests more than tetraplegics during weight shifting (9% of their body weight vs 5%). The researchers think that this may be the case because individuals with tetraplegia have weak arm extensor muscles, making weight relieving difficult. In addition to acting as a support to push off from, armrests can also help alleviate pressure on the sit bones by supporting the weight of your arms. By removing the weight of hanging arms, the hips are unloaded and pressure forces are redistributed.

Armrests can be helpful for everyday activities such as transferring, picking up objects, and stability. When transferring, the armrests act as a source of support and are used to push up and off from, or they can be a firm object to hang onto when transferring back in. In addition, armrests may act as a source of stability when completing tasks that may challenge someone’s balance, such as picking up objects off the ground, reaching for high objects, and leaning.