Welcome to another edition of Therapy Corner.
Welcome to another edition of Therapy Corner. I hope all of you are doing well, and are taking advantage of the unseasonably cool summer weather.
This month I want to discuss the technique for sitting from a standing position. Too often in therapy, we encounter patients who have fallen or broken hips because they attempted to sit and missed the chair. I even had someone once who broke a hip because she sat down too hard! Safety is the most important component when it comes to sitting. In the process of sitting, once you commit to the action and gravity takes over it is very difficult to stop. So, you have to make sure that what you are sitting on is where it needs to be.
That being said, the first step with sitting is backing up to whatever you are sitting on until you feel it touch the backs of both legs. If you feel the chair on your legs, you then have confirmation it is right behind you. Don’t even think about reaching back for the chair until you feel it on your legs first. When you start to reach back, your weight shifts back on your heels and increases your risk of falling backward. If you don’t feel the chair on your legs, you don’t know if the chair is six inches or two feet away. If you feel it on your legs, you KNOW it is right behind you.
Once you feel the chair on your legs, then reach back for the armrests. If there are no armrests, reach back for the sitting surface. As you sit, target the front portion of the chair. If you try to sit deep in the chair, your center of gravity shifts back, and you either flop in the chair or you put a lot of pressure/weight on your shoulders. If you aim for the front of the chair, the center of gravity stays between your ankles where it needs to be, and you are able to keep the legs involved longer. Your legs are designed to carry your body weight, and can slowly lower you down. You essentially squat to lower yourself into the chair. 
Since several of you have connections to the space program, I like to use the term “controlled descent.” You have to put yourself in a position to control the action of sitting. The technique described above is just one of many techniques we implement for safety and injury avoidance. I hope you find it useful and are able to put it into practice.
Remember, be active, be strong. Until next time!
Your Restore Therapy Family,
Ryan Parden, PTA