Recent research by MossRehab indicates that the traditional positioning of the joystick control on the armrest of power wheelchairs may not be the optimal placement.

An article this week in HomeCare, a magazine for HME professionals, provides details on the research, which was conducted by Alberto Esquenazi, MD, MossRehab's chief medical officer.

Here is how Dr. Esquenazi, who is also director of MossRehab's Sheerr Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory, explains the situation:

“Traditional Power Wheelchairs (PWCs) use an armrest mounted joystick controller. Such devices force a change in body posture and weight distribution with deleterious effects over time. When operating a PWC with an armrest mounted drive control, the user often leans on the armrest where the joystick is mounted in order to improve drive control. The long term consequences for wheelchair users manipulating a joystick with repetitive motions while seated in awkward postures will often present in the form of muscular skeletal conditions, and be accompanied by pain attributed to inappropriate seating support."

Dr. Esquenazi's research, done using an Active Controls Center Drive System, showed that a center-drive system aligns the operator's visual field with the chair's travel path and leads to better postural alignment and weight distribution.

• Read the HomeCare article
• Learn more about the Sheerr Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory