Occupational therapists advise on posture guide

A group of occupational therapists (OTs) have collaborated with a bespoke seating company to create a new posture guide.

It is aimed at healthcare professionals who need to carry out seating assessments and correctly identify postural need and the options that are available in response to it.

Kate Sheehan, an OT who worked on the guide, said: “As experienced OTs ourselves, we know exactly what our colleagues can encounter when conducting assessments and I hope this guide will further help with the outstanding work OTs are doing on a daily basis across the UK.”

An assessment template and illustrations have been provided to help healthcare professionals use the guide as efficiently as possible.

Users can also draw inspiration from a series of case studies included in the guide that detail patients’ conditions and the steps that were taken to improve health and wellbeing.

Among the topics covered in the guide are:

• Understanding seating measurements
• Information on good posture
• Understanding spinal deformity and the options available for sitting
• Seating assessment guidelines
• Clinical reasoning checklist
• Postural passport for handovers

One of the areas where OTs often work with patients on their posture is when they have Huntington’s disease.

The inherited disorder can make it hard for patients to hold their trunk erect when sitting, so any advice on improving posture can be helpful.

A common issue among those with Huntington’s is to slide down in the chair, which can lead to a number of problems, such as pressure damage.

OTs can also work with Huntington’s patients to ensure there is no rotation of the pelvis or incorrect head positioning. Correct posture is important for making sure individuals can breathe properly too.

Written by Alex Franklin Stortford

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