15 Ways Rise and Recline Chairs Can Help Your Health

There are a plethora of ways a rise and recline chair can benefit your health and wellbeing. Here at Oak Tree Mobility, our rise and recline chairs improve your quality of living, so you can carry on being the best you. It’s our mission to transform your life and make a real difference to your comfort. We’ve made a list of health benefits that our rise and recline chairs can contribute to. Read on to see how a rise and recline chair can change your circumstances for the better…

Arthritis

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. In the UK more than 10 million people have arthritis or other joint-related issues and it can affect people of all ages. The two most common forms are rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is when the smooth cartilage lining of the joints starts to roughen and thin out and as a result, the tendons and ligaments have to work harder causing swelling, pain, difficulty in movement and the formation of bony spurs called osteophytes. It most commonly occurs in the hands, spine, knees, hips and feet.

Rheumatoid arthritis is when the body’s immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling, even changing the joints shape. This may cause the bone cartilage to break down.

How can a rise and recline chair help Arthritis?

Our chairs are electrically operated so that there is no pressure on your joints while you sit or getting in or out of the chair. Our Unique High Leg Lift, which has a single motor, provides the legs with elevation, helping ease the pain and the riser action reduces pressure on your joints while you’re leaving or entering the seat. The use of heat and massage, which you can get as an add-on in our rise and recline chairs can also ease the symptoms. Read more about how our products can help Osteoarthritis here.

Back problems

Back pain is very common and normally improves within a few weeks or months. Back problems can range from problems in your lower back or lumbago, spine, hips or neck. Usually, the problem is not that serious and the pain usually gets better over time, but sometimes it can last longer or keep coming back.

It may have been caused by a sprain or strain, a slipped disc or sciatica, but usually, it isn’t possible to identify, which doctors call non-specific back pain.

How can a riser recliner mobility chair help with back pain?

Whatever the cause, rise and recline chairs can help ease the pain. The riser action means you don’t have to strain your back whilst getting in and out of your chair. Particularly, the waterfall back chair provides excellent support and comfort for the back, neck and lumbar region, and thus helps to relieve pain.

Circulation problems and Raynaud's

If you have circulation problems or Raynaud’s don’t be alarmed this phenomenon in common and is usually not caused by serious problems. You can often treat it by keeping warm. However, when poor blood circulation is more serious is when it is caused by capillaries wearing out over time. This can cause swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. It can also cause pain, numbness, pins and needles and difficulty moving in the affected area.

How can an electric riser recliner chair improve my blood circulation?

Our Unique High Leg Lift is the highest leg lift in the U.K., getting your legs up to 6 inches above your hip level. This height allows for less stress on the heart and helps it to pump blood easier around the body. Not to mention our warming heat and massage add-ons to give you that extra bit of warmth and comfort and to stimulate blood circulation. Read more about Raynaud’s here.

COPD

COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the name for a group of lung conditions that causes trouble breathing. It includes emphysema, which is damage to the air sacs in the lungs and chronic bronchitis, which is long-term inflammation of the airways. It’s often caused by smoking or long-term exposure to harmful fumes or dust.

The symptoms of COPD include increased breathlessness, particularly when you’re active, a persistent chesty cough with mucus, frequent chest infections and persistently wheezing.

How can a recline armchair help with COPD?

Due to the increase of infection and breathlessness, if you’re suffering from COPD your energy levels are lower. Using a rise and recline chair to help you get in and out of your chair, which will preserve your energy and breath. Read more about COPD.

Heart disease

Heart disease is an umbrella term for a range of conditions that affect the heart including blood vessel diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart valves or rhythm problems, heart defects and cardiovascular disease, involving narrowed or blocked veins that can cause heart attacks, chest pain (angina) or strokes.

These diseases can cause symptoms ranging from chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, swelling and fatigue.

How can a rise and recline chair help with heart disease?

Our Unique High Leg Lift chair will improve your circulation. As your feet are raised above your heart level, gravity encourages increased blood flow back to the heart and it also helps reduce any swelling in your legs.

Hip Replacements

A hip replacement is a common surgical procedure when your hip is replaced with an artificial one when a hip joint is damaged. Damaged hips cause reduces mobility and causes pain even while resting. It often occurs if you have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, a hip fracture, septic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or bone dysplasia (related to unusual bone growth).

How can rise and recline chairs help with recovering from a hip replacement?

The recovery process can be time-consuming. However, by raising the rise and recline chair before you sit down and letting it lower you into a seated position, means that there is less impact on the joints when lowering yourself into the chair from a standing position. The Unique High Leg Lift also keeps pressure off the hips and aids in your comfort.

Knee Replacements

This is a common surgery that involved replacing a damaged, worn or diseased knee with an artificial joint. It can be necessary if the damage is caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, haemophilia, gout, unusual bone growth, death of bones due to blood supply problems, knee injury, knee deformity with pain and loss of cartilage.

How can a rise and recline chair help with knee replacement recovery?

Our Unique High Leg Lift in our rise and recline chairs helps relieve joint pain by encouraging circulation, which can aid recovery. The riser action also does not put as much strain on the joint when you get in and out of the chair.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the spinal cord and brain, causing a wide range of symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation, paralysis, muscle spasm, tremors, reduction in circulation or balance.

How can a rise and recline chair help with MS?

The various contours the chair can help relax you and the added use of massage can help with muscle spasms and tremors. The rise action will help you get in and out of the chair.

Oedema

Oedema is swelling in ankles, feet or legs. It is caused by a build-up of fluid, and this can be caused by standing or sitting in the same position for too long, eating too much salty food, being overweight, pregnancy, taking blood-pressure medicines, contraceptive pills, antidepressants or steroids, injury, insect bite, problems with your kidneys, liver or heart, a blood clot or an infection.

How can a rise and recline chair help with oedema?

Our Unique High Leg Lift will raise your legs 6 inches higher than a horizontal position. This way the blood will flow downwards from your feet and help improve circulation and reduce swelling.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break, it develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break or fracture.

How can a rise and recline chair help prevent broken bones?

Reclining the chair back and elevating the legs can reduce strain on your pressure points and relieves tension across the body. Also, with the riser action, you aren’t putting as much strain on your joints and bones sitting down on or getting up from your chair.

Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. The disorder of the central nervous system affects the motor system and it produces symptoms like involuntary shaking or tremors, slow movement and inflexible muscles. As the disease progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to carry out day-to-day activities. It also affects your mental health as well.

How can a rise and recline chair help with Parkinson’s disease?

We can maximise your comfort in our rise and recline chairs. The use of the riser action makes it easier to get in and out of the chair.

Sciatica

Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your hips to your feet, is irritated. It usually gets better between 4 to 6 weeks but it can last longer. Sciatica affects your bottom, backs of your legs, feet and toes. You may feel pain, tingling, numbness or weakness. It can be caused by prolapsed or slipped disc, spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

How can a rise and recline chair help prevent sciatica coming back?

Our rise and recline chairs provide relief in the reclined position, along with the high leg lift, both can usually offer improved comfort and relieve tension. The riser action takes the strain off of the back when getting in and out of the chair. Read more about how a rise and recline chair can help your sciatica here.

Stroke

A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. It can result in the inability to move or feel on one side of the body, trouble understanding, trouble speaking and/or loss of vision.

How can a rise and recline chair help after a stroke?

Extra padding is available to maximise support. The riser action helps people with limited mobility to get in and out of the chair. The handheld controls can be applied to either the left or right side of the chair. Find out how to spot if someone is having a stroke here.

Swelling in ankles

Poor circulation in the body causes blood to accumulate in the legs and causes swelling in the ankles. Your ankles, legs or feet could look swollen or puffy. They could also have shiny stretched or red skin.

How can a rise and recline chair help swollen ankles?

We have the highest leg lift in the UK, enabling the legs to be elevated above the hip level, increasing circulation and helping to reduce swelling. Read more about how to help swollen ankles here.

Trouble getting up

We understand that struggling to get on your feet or sitting down and feeling discomfort is frustrating.

So how can a rise and recline chair help me stand up and sit down?

As well as being a comfortable chair, at the touch of a button, the riser action brings you to a standing position with ease and takes the stress off of your joints. Equally when you come to sit down again, simply lean in the seat while it’s in the raised position and allow it to gently recline you into a seated position.