WheelchairDriver

Hello.

I am currently using a Quickie QM710 power wheelchair, which has a metal seat. I used to use a Quickie G424, which had a fabric sling seat. Now, because of the metal seat, my coccyx is killing me. Burning, stinging, stabbing pain after less than an hour in the chair. My cushion has a coccyx cutout, but it's 4 years old now and I'm a heavy gal, so it's bottoming out and my tailbone is resting on the metal seat.

I'm pretty sure my insurance will pay for a new one, but they're not going to pay for me to try several until I find the right one. I kinda need to know what to get before asking for it.

I've searched and searched and searched, but I'm still not sure which cushion would be best. A few of the Jay brand cushions look promising, as does the Supracor Stimulite Contoured, but reviews for them are kinda all over the place.

So I thought I'd come here and ask you folks... which cushion is best for coccyx pain and pressure relief?

Also, is there anything I can do for now, while waiting for all the referrals and red tape, to make my current cushion a little more usable? Like adding a piece of foam underneath it or something?

I would try a ROHO Quadro High Profile . I have been on one for years.

Seajays wrote:I would try a ROHO Quadro High Profile . I have been on one for years.

To be honest, the ROHOs intimidate me. How easy is it to get the air fill just right? Does it have to be refilled often? Like, sitting causes slow leaks? And what happens if it breaks or somehow gets punctured? I'm not so sure my insurance would be willing to replace it so easily. (I'm on Medi-Cal/Medicaid)

Although, I guess the same could be said for gel, which is something I've been looking at. I really don't think I can do just foam anymore. I haven't gotten sores yet, but after several hours in the chair, my skin does feel tender and 'prickly', which I'm assuming is a precursor to bad things.

This really isn't an easy decision... I'm feeling really overwhelmed.

Is there any way your G424 fabric sling seat (or something similar off ebay) could be adapted to fit the QM710 base?

Hello Jana.

There are foam cushions (normal) and anti-scale cushions.

I can't find anything that says I can swap the metal seat for the fabric seat. And even if I could, I'm not sure my insurance will cover it. They kinda just cover the bare minimums.

I don't know what anti-scale cushions are. I will see if I can look them up.

I use a foam cogin purchased from Aliexpress.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Synthet ... Title=true

Cushion choice is a highly personal thing, it is very hard to give guidance as everyone has a different shaped butt and different ideas about what works for it...

There are a lot of problems with it that make it much less than the 'magic' that the DME's try to make it, but a good starting point would be to go to a good DME (Durable Medical Equipment) dealer / seating clinic - check with your local rehab perhaps, and get 'pressure mapping' done - this is a special pad with sensors on it that makes a map of where the pressure points are on your butt, and can give some ideas about what your best choices are.... The dealer should also have a bunch of different cushions that you can do a 'test sit' on to see how they feel....

I like the Supracore cushions personally - I use their Stimulite Contour model... One of the big differences is that unlike most cushions that have a waterproof, non-breathable 'incontinence cover' the Supracores usually have a breathable cloth cover, and claim that your movement 'pumps' a bit of air through the honeycomb structure so that you have fresh air reaching your butt - this can be a good or bad thing depending on how much you tend to 'leak'... However the cushion and cover are washable - supposedly you can even machine wash the cushion if you have one of the large 'tumble' type machines.... I sweat a lot, and when I was on the waterproof cushion my butt would always be wet due to trapped moisture.... With the Supracore my butt stays a lot drier....

I started out with the Contour XS version which has an extra layer of softer honeycomb on top of it... I found as a hefty guy (~230lbs) the soft layer just flattened and didn't do much, so I went to the regular Contour which has the full thickness of firmer honeycomb and supports me better....

I tried one of the single section (all the bubbles are in the same air chamber) and did NOT like it at all... Aside from being waterproof, it was comfortable, but you couldn't move around to change the pressure points as it would just reshape as you moved... Worse it was an absolute bear to transfer on and off of, as if you tried to push down on it to boost your butt up, your hands would sink into it. and increase the pressure pushing up under you - resulting in no net boost... Worse I did have a slow leak and found that I could not produce enough pressure with the hand pump to blow it back up while seated on the cushion.... Fortunately I was home and could transfer off it to re-inflate, but if I'd been someplace I couldn't transfer I'd have been in trouble. Also as a person that spends a lot of time in welding and machine shops, an air cushion is not very compatible....

Gel cushions are OK if you like the style, again they are moisture traps. However unless you do a lot with making sparks and sharp chips, they are reasonably robust...

ex-Gooserider

Also as a person that spends a lot of time in welding and machine shops, an air cushion is not very compatible....

You work as a welder?

ex-Gooserider,

How does your coccyx feel on the Supracore Stimulite Contour?

Lots of things besides cushions can be considered when making a decision. Certain foam packing materials, inner tubes for wheel barrows, or an old 10in austin mini tyre etc even bean bags. I have on my Spectra a 4inch (cushion from the NHS) and a 3 inch wedge (for a car). I really wanted to modify the chair base, by removing all the metal panels, electronic recline and tilt etc. Especially the recline, as I can never get it comfortable straight off charge. In order to have it compact and shorter in length there can be no inclination at all. The wheelchair service forbade me from modifying the chair. So anything I have done to the chair, can be changed back or removed within an hour. Seating would take too long to change.
What I really wanted to do was use a motorised car seat from a Mitsubishi (as a neighbour was scrapping their car) but on further investigation found the BMW 3 series 3 door chair the most comfortable, especially with leather seats for easier side transfers.

martin007 wrote:

Also as a person that spends a lot of time in welding and machine shops, an air cushion is not very compatible....

You work as a welder?

No, I spend most of my time at the Artisan's Asylum maker-space in Somerville, MA, where I have a space... We have shared shop areas for making just about anything physical, including welding (TIG, MIG, and oxy-fuel) and precision machining - lathes and milling machines...

Lots of chips and sparks....

ex-Gooserider

JanaOnWheels wrote:ex-Gooserider,

How does your coccyx feel on the Supracore Stimulite Contour?

It works fine for me, but as I said, it depends on a lot of factors so your results may vary....

Another subtle thing that can make a difference is that many cushions come in 'sling seat' and 'rigid seat' versions... The sling seat versions are supposedly made slightly thicker in the center to compensate for the sag in the sling seat (how they decide how much sag you have is a good question...)

if you put a sling seat cushion on a flat rigid seat base, it will stick up more in the middle because of that extra thickness...

ex-Gooserider