Indications for use of the knee stool, its varieties

Problems with posture are a consequence of the sedentary lifestyle of modern people. At the time of work in front of the computer, a person involuntarily relaxes muscles, is forgotten, and the spine takes an incorrect position. To solve this problem, many devices have been developed, one of them is knee stool, which can be used by adults and children. It is designed to form the correct posture at the very moment of work at the computer table. This design is able to have a beneficial effect on the entire musculoskeletal system.

What is and how is it different from usual

Knee stool - an orthopedic construction made of wood or metal, designed to form the correct position of the spine, normalize posture, as well as the entire musculoskeletal system. The fact is that when sitting on an ordinary chair in a horizontal position, a person has an involuntary desire to relax the lower back, which leads to its curvature. In this case, the main load falls on the muscles of the buttocks, spine, sacrum, tailbone, neck.

The difference between a chair resting on its knees is that it forces the spine to be held upright, since the body is in a deviated position. Due to this, the load moves from the lower back and falls on the muscles of the legs. The spine is in a similar position when a person is standing. The design of the orthopedic chair provides for support for the knees, the seat is tilted, but there are no armrests.

There are also knee chairs with a back.

Now such an orthopedic chair is offered for adults, children. A man sitting on such a structure involuntarily spreads his shoulders and chest. The chair allows you to form the correct posture in children and prevent spinal problems in adults. There is a pillow for knees on all models, it allows you not to move down. Sitting on a chair can independently move the center of gravity, eventually occupying the most comfortable position. Such products are recommended for use at home, in educational institutions and, of course, workplaces.

Such an orthopedic design is a rather tough method of dealing with spinal curvature caused by improper posture; therefore, a specialist consultation is recommended before its acquisition and use.

Indications and benefits of use

Knee stool has the following advantages:

• reducing the load on the back muscles, unloading the sacrum, lower back and tailbone;
• uniform distribution of body weight and pressure on the spine during prolonged sitting;
• developing the right habit of keeping your back;
• decrease in fatigue and increase in working capacity due to the correct position of the body;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract, since the compression of the peritoneal region decreases;
• the resumption of muscle blood supply;
• normalization of free breathing after expansion of the lungs.

The main advantage of a chair with a knee stop is that it allows the prevention of curvature of the spinal column at home. This reduces the risk of developing osteochondrosis, protrusion of the disc and intervertebral hernia.

The use of the design must be approved by the doctor. Specialists in orthopedics recommend using the device for such violations:

• if signs of scoliosis are detected, stool helps reduce the space between the vertebrae;
• in case of asymmetry of the back muscles, incorrect posture;
• with intercostal neuralgia;
• in case of bulging intervertebral disc;
• with kyphoscoliosis.

The properties of the orthopedic design make it possible to use a chair for children whose musculoskeletal system has not yet been fully formed, schoolchildren and students. It is also used by adults, whose work forces them to spend several hours sitting. Due to the ability to normalize the activity of internal organs, orthopedic stools with emphasis on the knees can be used by future mothers who are waiting for the completion of the family. It is used not only for correction, but also as a preventive measure of disorders in the spine, which are manifested due to improper posture.

Recent studies have confirmed that the prophylactic action of the stool with an emphasis on the knees allows specialists to recommend its use not only to persons with spinal disorders, but also to healthy people.

Contraindications

Despite the obvious advantages of using a knee stool, its use can cause some difficulties and discomfort. Among the disadvantages of this design are:

• pain in the knees;
• slipping off the seat;
• numbness of the legs;
• construction height.

However, such shortcomings can be triggered by improper selection of a chair, because they are relative. At the same time, there are contraindications to the use of the design, among them:

• congenital anomalies of the spine;
• the presence of back injuries;
• deformed spine;
• third stage of scoliosis;
• prepatellar bursitis;
• changes in the femur;
• Osgood-Schlatter disease with severe pain.

Before purchasing and using this product, be sure to consult your doctor.

Variety of products

Today on the market are products for children and adults. They can be dynamic or adjustable. The former combine a knee chair and a rocking chair, ideal for children who have to spend a lot of time in a sitting position, can change their position. The second are used for tables of different heights, as you can independently choose a suitable position and fix it. The principle of adjustment is smooth or stepwise. At the same time, products are produced in several varieties by type of base:

The product must be selected individually.Separate models are offered with a folding back. When choosing, you need to provide all the parameters of the patient: weight, height, curvature of the spinal column, and more. Some varieties of similar furniture offer a dynamic fit that adds orthopedic features. These chairs will provide mobility of the vertebrae, and this is very important for prolonged sitting.

Materials of manufacture

For the production of orthopedic knee chairs, metal and wood are used. The use of the former in the design allows to increase reliability, stability, and service life. Thanks to this, the product becomes universal, the possibilities of adjustment are expanded. The steel base is subjected to chromium plating, staining with special paints or processing with a teflon coating.

For models of wood, solid oak, beech or multilayer plywood are used. For home use, as a rule, they choose just such a product, since it is easier to fit into the interior, in addition, such products weigh less. But if you need a chair that will retain its properties for as long as possible, it is better to give preference to models on a steel frame.

As a filler for knee pads, backs, different materials are used. The most popular are foam rubber and latex. The first material is flexible, hypoallergenic, inexpensive, lasts about five years. Latex is more elastic, porous. Due to the antistatic effect, dust accumulates on it less. He retains his qualities for up to ten years.

The surface of the chair is upholstered with fabric, leather and its substitute, there are also models with removable covers. Textiles allow air to pass through well, but are difficult to clean if contaminated. Leather repels water and dust, is durable, but such models are more expensive. Substitute products are cheaper, but they are not so durable. A great option is chairs with removable covers, they are easier to fit into the interior. In addition, caring for them is much easier.

Selection tips

An orthopedic knee chair must be selected personally, this is how you can ensure the maximum effect from its use. For example, a chair for a student will differ from an adult chair in terms of design dimensions. When choosing a product, you should pay attention to such features:

• the presence of mechanisms for adjusting the angle of the seat, its height relative to the knee pillow;
• mobile qualities - with the help of wheels the chair can be easily moved around the room if necessary;
• availability of security certificates;
• materials used - steel will be more durable than wood; textiles are preferable for soft parts of a structure;
• growth and weight parameters of the potential user, they should not exceed the maximum allowable for the product.

The chair does not relieve the user of the need for regular physical exercises. They should be carried out at least once per hour.

Do it yourself

The features of the knee stool include the simplicity of the design. This is a device with one seat and two supports under the knees. Sometimes the last elements are built solid. However, the price of such a chair often exceeds reasonable limits. The simplicity of the mechanism allows craftsmen to assemble knee chairs themselves.

To do this, you only need three sets of bars:

• one back;
• two for the facade, which will hold the main load;
• two for horizontal position - under the support of the knees.

You can fasten them using sticks, for example, from a mop. But even for the design of the knee chair with your own hands, it is important to provide ways to adjust the height and tilt.This can be done with the help of additional holes in the places where horizontal bars are fixed. They are placed depending on the height and weight of the user. Racks are made from fragments of bars, and then fix them with metal holders. Next, the structure must be covered with a suitable filler and upholstered with fabric. Thus, you can make a simple analogue of a chair with support for the knees.

In order to assemble a chair in the form of a saddle yourself, you will need to prepare:

• set of 3 bars (for seat, stop, legs);
• plywood;
• foam rubber;
• upholstery fabric.

For a chair, it is necessary to choose hardwood (oak, beech, etc.) - this will extend the life of the product. The first step is to prepare a drawing with the dimensions of the chair. The parameters must be correlated with the weight and height of the user. A correctly executed drawing is the key to the comfort and suitability of the product.

Drawings are presented in abundance in specialized forums - you can focus on them, or you can make a diagram yourself.

After that, you can start assembling the chair. It consists of the following stages:

The design of the chair with an emphasis on the knees is quite simple, therefore even a novice master can assemble it independently.

How to use

Before sitting on a knee chair, it is important to choose the right height of the structure. It is necessary to configure it, focusing on the growth and complexion of a person. Typically, models are equipped with at least three levels. Thus, the distance between the upper and lower pillow should be reduced in accordance with the growth of the user.

In addition, it is important to know how to choose the right table. To do this, sit on a chair, bend your arm and raise 15 centimeters from the body. The height of the table should be equal to the distance from the elbow to the floor. Also, during use, the backless knee should be in such a way that your hands rest on the countertop and do not hang from it.

Experts recommend the use of children's knee stools for preventive and therapeutic purposes. This will help to avoid curvature of the spine and problems with posture. However, any use of orthopedic constructions should be carried out after consulting a doctor. The use of the product for correct posture is recommended by orthopedic specialists, the reviews on its use are mostly positive.

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