Are you sitting comfortably..? Footplates
Many people find the footplates of their wheelchair get in the way. However, legs are heavy and feet should be supported as dangling legs and feet can easily catch and be damaged. The weight of hanging legs can also cause your bottom to slide forwards off the chair and can set up shearing forces in the skin that can quickly lead to deep pressure damage or cause spasms, pain or discomfort.
If your feet fall forwards or sideways off the footplates, it is usually a sign that you are not seated correctly. Following the advice in this book may help with this.
Bad posture
Good posture
If your feet tend to fall backwards off the footplates, it is usually because your hamstrings are too tight. Hamstrings are muscles at the back of the thigh that help to bend the knee. If this happens, your footplates may need to be set further back than normal. Seek advice from a therapist or wheelchair specialist. Do not strap your feet to the ordinary footplates as in this position the tight hamstring muscles will pull your bottom forwards off the chair.
Next page - Some other useful tips - Using the commode or toilet