Newbie

[Bohikeman]

Hello everyone, my name is Louie & I'm new here. I've been w/c bound since last year after I moved to Florida, & had back surgery by a quack. I've got a really good manual w/c, but my shoulders, & my upper back muscles are starting to hurt, so are my hands. My insurance carrier will pay for a p/c, but since I'm new to this I really don't know which are the better ones. I live in Port Charlotte Fl, just in case there's someone here from this area or near by. I want to get an all terrain one, because we have a big back yard & I like going there w, our dogs, also I like to use the trimmer when my wife & I are doing yard work, makes me feel usefull, & I do it from my w/c, but it's hard to move around, specially if the ground it's wet. So, anyone has any recommendations? Please let me know. Thanks for any help. Louie. & God Bless.

[ex-Gooserider]

Hi Louie,

Welcome...

First off, it helps to put your location in the appropriate box under the User Control Panel (near the top of every page) - this is a very multinational board, and having the reminder of where you are helps us suggest location appropriate solutions.

It isn't surprising to see your comments about your shoulders and arms hurting - it is common among manual chair users, though usually it takes longer to start happening. There are exercises that can help, and doing things like using "Natural Fit" push-rims instead of the round tubular jobs can make your hands feel better, but the only real cure is to move to a power chair.

As to your question about "best" chairs - there really aren't any that can be purchased... Seems like all the industry knows how to make is crap. The chairs that Burgerman or Will are making are ideal, but you can't buy them, just make your own version... Of the commercial chairs in the US, you want to avoid Pride / Quantum like the plague. Sunrise / Quickie, Invacare, and Permobile are slightly better, though each of those has their own issues. Magic Mobility makes some nice outdoor chairs, but they tend to be on the large size for indoor use.

You also want rear-wheel drive if possible, and definitely avoid the 6-wheel / Mid-wheel drive versions...

ex-Gooserider