Curt Prewitt, MS, PT, ATP brings his experience, research, and expertise to you in two ways during the NRRTS 2021 Education Series. Curt is the author of Volume 1, 2021 DIRECTIONS CEU Article, “Vibration and the Manual Wheelchair User”. You will have another opportunity to dive deep into the questions of manual wheelchair design principles and vibration during the live webinar on March 4, 2021 at 5 pm ET. The title is “Can Manual Wheelchair Design Principles Mitigate the Adverse Effects of Vibration?”
Curt Prewitt is Director of Education for Ki Mobility. He has a BS in Exercise Physiology and an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado. He practiced as a physical therapist in a number of settings for a few years, most prominently in long term care, where he gained experience with seating and wheeled mobility. He transitioned from a practicing therapist to a manufacturer’s representative, eventually moving into sales management and focusing on complex rehab technology. Throughout his tenure on the manufacturer’s side in the complex rehab arena, he has dealt largely with pediatric positioning and mobility products. He has previously also served as a product trainer/product specialist, teaching product features and clinical application, as well as coordinating continuing education presentations, both credited and non-credited. He has presented educational courses across the US and internationally.
Significant exposure to vibration (whole body vibration – WBV) has been linked to a variety of adverse health conditions in able bodied workers exposed to WBV during occupation. For individuals in wheelchairs, WBV can not only have an adverse effect on comfort, ride quality and energy expenditure, but the WBV these individuals experience in their chairs can contribute to pain, degenerative conditions, interference with ADLs, increased spasticity and others.
Wheelchair manufacturers have attempted to mitigate the detrimental effects of WBV through a variety of approaches in the past. However, much of the technology has been insufficient to meaningfully dampen the WBV a person in a manual wheelchair sustains. This presentation will discuss the issues associated with WBV for the manual wheelchair user, discuss the pros and cons of some of the remedies that have previously been used, and discuss the unique application of design principles and materials that allow for dampening WBV.
Visit the Course Library and choose “Vibration and Manual Wheelchair Users Bundle” which will provide access to both the live webinar and the CEU Article.
If you would like to order separately, visit Upcoming Webinars or CEU Article Review