Judging from the amount of time and energy directed toward positioning the pelvis, you might think that is the only goal of complex seating.

But in the latest Mobility Management podcast, sponsored by Bodypoint and starring Tina Roesler, PT, MS, Bodypoint’s Director of Clinical and Business Development, the focus is on upper-extremity positioning and why optimally supporting a wheelchair rider’s arms is so critical to successful outcomes.

“We spend a lot of time focusing on the seating and wheeled mobility part,” Roesler said in the podcast. “So when I used to think about upper extremities, it was all about function and active motion and pushing the wheelchair.

“But what I’ve learned over the years is the importance of upper-extremity support. Especially for people with upper-extremity paralysis or just limited function, it becomes really critical. A lack of support can actually cause more pain and dysfunction over time. If I have the opportunity to regain function, say after a neurological event or injury, proper support of that upper extremity is going to facilitate proprioception, and it’s going to provide some opportunities for active or passive range of motion. So it’s really important from a prevention and an intervention standpoint.”

Listen to the episode here, and then browse Mobility Management’s podcast center for more episodes.