‘Toilet talk’, mobility aids for kids, adults and more…
The ‘Squatty Potty’ – helps with more natural elimination
We could start with a joke about this product, and there are more than a few on their own website, but Squatty Potty seems to be a serious product. It’s recommended by doctors, not just for people with elimination problems but for everyone.
The case made is that humans are meant to poo in a squatting position, not a sitting position. The Squatty Potty offers a better bathroom experience by aligning the colon in a natural angle for faster, more effective colon evacuation. The Squatty Potty is designed to help assume the squatting position, which helps alleviate suffering from hemorrhoids, constipation, colon disease and pelvic floor issues. When not in use it tucks in close to your toilet.
Costing 60–$100, find out where you can buy online by Googling <squatty potty australia buy>
‘Upsee’ – helps train kids with motor impairment to stand and walk
This new device http://www.fireflyfriends.com/upsee was created by the mother of a boy with Cerebral Palsy. She said, “When my son was two years old, I was told by medical professionals that he didn’t know what his legs are and has no consciousness of them. That was an incredibly difficult thing for a mother to hear. I started to walk him day after day, which was a very strenuous task for both of us. Out of my pain and desperation came the idea for the Upsee and I’m delighted to see it come to fruition.”
The Upsee allows infants and small children to stand and achieve repetitive walking training with the support of an adult. It includes a harness for the child, which attaches to a belt worn by an adult, and specially-engineered sandals that allow the parent and child to step simultaneously, leaving their hands free for play and other tasks.
Here’s a video by the woman who created it.
Costing around $500, go here for more information or purchase.
Tek Robotic Mobilization Device
This motorised standing device, similar to the Segway scooter but designed for people with mobility problems, is now commercially available in Australia.
About this device, the inventors say: “At Matia Robotics, we created the Tek Robotic Mobilization Device not as a wheelchair alternative, but as a brand new mobility platform that completely reimagines the way individuals with paraplegia and other walking disabilities are able to move in the world. The ability to independently and safely sit, stand, and navigate environments that were once inaccessible, is now possible, safe, and available soon by reservation.
It works like a wheelchair but is less than half the size of the smallest wheelchair, leaving hands free for daily activities. It allows a hands-free sit-to-stand motion with a very small footprint and is boarded from the back, allowing for independent and safer transfers.”
Matia Robotics is a team of expert inventors and engineers, dedicated to the creation of innovative robotic mobility devices. Since our team first came together in 2006, our goal has always been to develop technology that will help people—specifically people with walking disabilities. We designed the Tek RMD to add more freedom to the lives of individuals with paralysis, allowing them to live in places not designed for them, and to move more independently in the world.
After years of development, planning, and testing, the Tek RMD is our first product to hit the market. We debuted the Tek RMD in 2012, and with the buzz we received from around the world, we decided to take our Tek RMD to the global marketplace. Our goal remains to improve the health, wellness, and sense of independence for as many people as we can reach.
For more information on the device, including video, and how to get one in Australia, go to: http://pushmobility.com.au/catalogue/tek. The cost is around $24,000 and includes a face-to-face consultation for measurement and custom sizing of the unit, free delivery and 5 hours of personal training time to learn to use the device. Units can be inspected and trialled in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney currently, and possibly other locations on request.
Relaxation device – the Chi machine
The Chi machine cradles the lower legs of the user who is lying down and employs a reciprocating side-to-side motion that rocks the legs and the body back and forth. There are claims that a chi machine can relieve muscular tension, relieve vertebral joint pressure, promote a sense of well being, improve lymph flow and promote deep relaxation.
Clinical trials in 2000 in collaboration with Flinders University in Adelaide showed improvement for patients with secondary lymphoedema and venous oedema in the legs (think swollen legs, feet and ankles). Might the Chi Machine be helpful for HSPers?
Youtube.com has various videos showing Chi Machine use, comparison of models, reviews, etc. Various brands of Chi Machines are available at prices ranging from less than 100 dollars (Gumtree.com) to several hundred dollars. Here is an Australian website with information on these machines.
Here is a report from an HSP community member on her use of a chi machine:
“The machine I have is called a Zen Chi machine. I use it twice a day for 15 minutes each, in the morning and before I go to bed. If some HSPers feel they probably can’t lie directly on the floor because of their backs due to stiffness/lordosis, I found once I got started it wasn’t a problem, seemed to stretch my back and then after I have finished I do more stretching for my back which feels great.
The reason I use it before bed, I found it relaxes the muscles and has resulted in a profound decrease in restless leg syndrome/clonus during the night. It has been wonderful because the restless legs nearly drove me insane and with the help I sleep so much better. I don’t get up off the floor after using it feeling that my muscles are more relaxed and I can walk better but my whole body tingles and feels amazing and feel its stimulating my muscles like I’ve been on a 2km walk and mentally that makes me feel better. People will probably have different results based on the level of their HSP symptoms, but I love it and honestly would not be without it. Make sure you buy woollen ankle covers with your machine because you really need them for comfort, and not all machines come with them included.”
If you’re looking for an Australian alternative to the Squatty Potty – check out the PROPPR – http://www.theproppr.com !