Improve your posture (Physio Supplies Pelvic Tilt Wedge Cushion)

Member Name: Tracy_1127

Product:	Physio Supplies Pelvic Tilt Wedge Cushion
Date:	06/11/08 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: put spine into a neutral position, inexpensive if you shop around

Disadvantages: not great in cars, expensive if you don't shop around

In todays society many of us have to spend a great deal of time sitting and our posture is often not what it should be. The majority of people sit in a slumped position with their spines in a C curve and the pelvis tipped backwards which can easily lead to disc problems and many other muscular problems. This is where the pelvic tilt cushion comes into it's own.

The cushions themselves are about the size of a seat, although not quite as wide so you can fit them into a car seat which are notoriously bad for posture as they tip you backwards so your knees are higher than your hips which encourages the C curve posture.

The wedge is about 4 inches high at the back and narrows down to a couple of centimetres at the front, it is made of firm foam so it doesn't just completely give way under your weight but does feel soft and has a removeable cover that can be washed.

When you sit on one of these wedges the result is it requires less than 90 degrees flexion at the hips so the pelvis can sit in a neutral position which in turn puts the spine in the correct position. These really do work and you do find your spine is in a relaxed, neutral position and the weight of your body is not all sitting on the back of your pelvis.

One of the temptations with these cushions is to lean forward as you are tipped forwards but that obviously comes from weak muscles trying to allow the C shape to happen. You have to sit upright, no leaning forwards or backwards so your weight is directly through your sit bones, where it should be.

People who have excessive lordosis (excessive arching) of the lumbar spine can also benefit from these cushions as long as they too sit upright as it can't do anything but put the pevis in neutral tilt.

As far as car seats go these tend to at worst make the seat level and at best produce the tipping effect. One problem with using them in a car is they can make you feel a bit unstable in your seat, the tipped back seats in cars are to ensure you don't slide under the seatbelt if you have a ding so these reduce that effect and you find you need to support yourself to a degree with your feet whilst sitting in the car on one. I don't think they are especially helpful in car seats for this reason but if you get on with them they can reduce the pressure on the hips, pelvis and spine.

For normal use on office chairs, dining chairs etc they produce a wonderful natural curve to the spine and take away the option to sit with bad posture, again only if you sit upright and don't lean!

I can't believe how much mine improves my posture, it's hard to get the spine into a neutral position f you're not used to it but these take away the need to think about it. You can sit longer without getting backache and they also help shoulder and neck pain by preventing the rounding of the back. If one curve in the back is in the proper position the others will follow so they have a great effect on the whole body.

Highly recommended for those with back pain. I found prices vary alot and some online stores charge from £20- £30 for one of these but I bought mine on ebay and paid £15 including delivery so check ebay before you buy.

An excellent product for those of us with less than perfect posture.

Summary: Excellent for anyone with hip, back, shoulder or neck pain.