Seating: Positioning the Head

Michelle L. Lange

OT Practice, 2000

Extract:
"One of the most challenging areas of positioning can be the neck and head. How many times have you seen clients sitting with their chins touching their chests, looking at their knees? Or balancing their heads over hyperextended necks while trying to breathe and swallow? Head support is usually the last element addressed in a seating system because control depends heavily on the position of the pelvis and trunk. However, poor support of the head can lead to overstretched neck extensors, poor visual field and attention, poor socialization, poor swallowing and feeding, and impaired respiration."

The full article is in PDF format - click here to open (825KB)