UK Guide: The Incredible Benefits of Standing Powerchairs

Standing (or stand-up) electric wheelchairs and powerchairs bring immense health benefits to disabled individuals, not just from ease of accessibility, but through the many benefits that standing brings to the body.

Electric wheelchair users who need assistance standing find that the stand-assist function on the Permobil chairs gives them so much freedom, making transfers far easier and giving them the ability to move and reposition themselves.

The stand-assist function provides an array of health benefits, as described below. In this article we explain the top ten benefits of the stand-up function for electric wheelchair users:

Benefits of Standing Powerchairs

1.      Prevents Joint and Muscle Contractures

Standing helps keep muscle tone flexible, preventing muscles tightening or contracting from constantly being in a sitting position.

This is particularly good for muscles around the ankles, knees and hips that determine sitting posture.

Contractures can be more common with genetic disorders such as Muscular Dystrophy, and often lead to other complications such as pressure sores and postural problems.

2.      Supports Bone Health and Reduces the Risk of Osteoporosis

Supporting your own body weight helps to strengthen the bones and increase bone density. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis as the bones age, a condition that weakens the bones and makes them brittle.

Switching to a standing posture on a regular basis helps straighten the spine, extends the trunk and prevents postural deformities such as kyphosis or windswept hip, all improving skeletal health.

3.      Reduces the Risk of Pressure Sores

Relieving the build-up of pressure is a massive benefit for stand-assist users. Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin tissue caused by the build-up of pressure over a long period for time, and can get worse if left untreated. Having the right positioning and level of pressure relief in the chair is the first priority, but the standing function has the major benefit of being able to redistribute body weight through the feet and relieve pressure on the sacrum and thighs.

4.      Improves Range of Motion

As well as improving muscle health as outlined in point 1, using the standing function increase the range of movement across the body as a whole. Key joints such as the hip, spine, knees and ankles can all be kept in movement, which is important to keep the body flexible and maintain the body’s natural range of motion. This helps the user maintain their independence with daily activities such as cooking, washing and dressing.

The standing motion can also assist with basic limb exercises that the user may do to improve their muscle health.

5.      Builds Core Strength and Improves Head Control

Standing improves core strength by maintaining balance, improving overall stability and head control. This gradual conditioning helps to increase strength and mobility over time.

6.      Enhances Muscle Memory and Motor Skills

Standing promotes muscle memory and retains the use of motor skills, from the movements used in changing to a standing position. When repeated over time this can lead to standing unaided, and even taking small steps as the user’s coordination and balance improves.

7.      Boosts Circulation and Respiratory Health

Changing posture by standing helps to stimulate blood circulation. As well as improving respiratory and heart health, this reduces the risk of thrombosis and swelling in the lower limbs from stagnated blood flow.

8.      Promotes Digestive and Renal Health

Being in an upright position aids digestion and improves bladder health. This contributes to a healthy digestive and renal system, further enhancing well-being.

9.      Enhances Emotional and Social Well-Being

Improved emotional health is one of the more indirect consequences of the standing function, but far-reaching in its positive effects.

The standing function increases overall independence, allowing powerchair users to interact with others socially at eye-level, leading to improved confidence and self-esteem. Enabling social connection and better social mobility in this way can have a profound effect on overall levels of wellbeing and happiness.

10.  Encourages Early Development in Children

Early intervention with standing aids helps children develop strength and flexibility as they grow.

Choosing a Standing Wheelchair

The first and best step to finding a standing wheelchair is to have a powerchair assessment, where a mobility specialist can assess your individual needs and match these to the right features for you.

The great advantage of our Permobil chairs is that they are customisable to a very high level. You can just have the standard spec if this is fine for you, or add on lots of different supports and accessories to tailor to your individual needs.

These are some of the features and benefits to look out for when choosing a standing wheelchair:

Battery range

How far do you need the chair to go? Some of the standing powerchairs like the M3 Corpus VS have up to a 40km range.

Level of positioning required

Standing Permobils have extra accessories like chest supports, swing away knee supports, and articulating footplates.

Permobil Swing-away knee supports

Height Range

Range of height required for daily activities and your environment. Depending on whether you are at work, home or school, different levels of height and reach will be required.

The Permobil M Corpus VS is a versatile powerchair that covers all bases, offering maximum stability and ride comfort with its mid-wheel drive base.

Permobil M Corpus VS

Standard Powerchair vs Standing Powerchair

Clinical Evidence

Growing clinical evidence suggests that supported standing brings an array of health benefits to wheelchair users.

Potential benefits reported in clinical studies include:

• Improved joint range of motion
• Reduced risk of contractures
• Better pressure redistribution
• Increased bone loading, which supports bone health
• Improved circulation
• Enhanced respiratory function
• Better digestive and bladder function
• Improved social participation and psychological wellbeing

However, outcomes can vary between individuals, and standing programmes should always be set by a qualified clinician following a thorough assessment.

For more detail about the research and biomechanics around standing, see our Clinical Guide for Powered Standing Wheelchairs.

All these benefits can be summarised into these overall factors that contribute to an enhanced quality of life for the client:

Promoting Movement

Increasing the client’s range of motion across different joints improves muscle health and increases the passive motion in the lower limbs. This increases the client’s autonomy and helps them perform more self-care tasks.

Greater Independence

The elevation to standing position while using the chair opens up so many benefits, from improved reach to easier access to shelves and workstations.

Social Mobility and Inclusion

The increased social participation from eye-level contact opens up so many possibilities to the powerchair user, boosting their confidence and social interactions.

Improved Mental Health and Wellbeing

The positive impact on clients’ mental health and wellbeing is well recounted from the improvements the standing function brings to so many aspects of daily life.

Permobil M Corpus VS Electric Wheelchair

Conclusion

Standing electric wheelchairs do more than provide mobility, they empower users by improving physical, emotional, and social well-being. The innovative standing function helps maintain better posture, supports bone health, reduces the risk of health complications, and fosters greater independence in daily life. By elevating users physically and mentally, stand-up powerchairs unlock possibilities that go beyond traditional mobility solutions, creating a path towards a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.