Meet Brid – Creating Seating That Fits the Person, Not the Product
When it comes to specialist seating, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Every person is different, and the impact of a diagnosis or pathology on the musculoskeletal system can vary considerably from one individual to another.
At MMS Medical, our Custom Moulded Seating service starts with the person – their posture, physical presentation, functional needs and the activities that are important to them. Leading this specialist service is Brid, Clinical Seating Specialist (BSc Prosthetics & Orthotics), whose background as an Orthotist and Prosthetist brings together clinical expertise, an in-depth understanding of biomechanics and a very hands-on approach to creating individual seating solutions.
“Custom seating isn’t perfect. It’s not an exact science and it’s certainly not one size fits all. Every person presents differently. Even two people with the same diagnosis will have different postural needs, different levels of support and different goals.” — Brid
Creating the Seating Around the Person
One of the greatest advantages of custom moulded seating is the freedom to create a solution specifically around the individual, rather than adapting the individual to suit the dimensions of an existing product.
Following a detailed assessment, the person is individually cast. From this, Brid can design a custom seat, back support or complete seating solution, which is then manufactured to the required shape and size.
“I love the freedom that making something with my hands gives me. I’m not limited by a product range or standard sizes. I cast the person, I design the back or seat, and then we make it. Any shape, any size.”
The result is a seating system designed to provide full-contact support and accommodate or support the individual’s particular postural presentation.
Why Positioning Matters
The role of custom moulded seating goes well beyond comfort. Appropriate positioning and support can have an important impact on a person’s overall health, function and ability to participate in everyday life.
Depending on the individual’s needs, custom seating can help to support posture and compromised skeletal systems, manage pressure and provide greater stability. Optimal positioning may also support respiratory function, digestion, blood and lymphatic flow and PEG feeding.
For Brid, her background in orthotics and prosthetics is particularly valuable when considering how forces act on the body.
“My entire career has been based on biomechanics – understanding centre of gravity, ground reaction forces, moments and rotation. By reducing external moments acting on the body, we can reduce the internal deforming forces. That understanding is really important when you’re creating a custom device.”
This understanding of biomechanics helps inform decisions around where support is required, how it should be applied and how the seating system can work with the person’s body rather than simply holding them in position.
It’s About Function Too
While postural management is fundamental, successful seating also needs to consider what the person wants and needs to do every day.
The aim is to position someone as optimally as possible to support their activities of daily living – whether that’s propelling or driving their wheelchair, communicating more easily with the people around them, accessing their environment or participating more fully in family, education, work and community life.
“It’s not all biomechanics. It’s also about function. We want to position someone so they can communicate more easily, push or drive their chair, participate in daily activities and engage with the people around them. Ultimately, it’s about making things easier for the person and their family, and helping them keep healthy.”
A Job Built Around People
Custom seating is highly specialised and can also be physically demanding work, but it’s the interaction with people and the difference a successful seating solution can make that Brid enjoys most.
“I love my job. I really enjoy the interactions – and the banter! It’s a hard job and it’s very physical, but the job satisfaction makes it all worthwhile.”
At MMS Medical, our Custom Moulded Seating service combines clinical assessment, specialist knowledge, biomechanics and hands-on craftsmanship to create individual solutions around the people who use them.
Because when every person is different, their seating should be too.
You can contact Brid on 021 4618000 or by email bridmcmahon@mmsmedical.ie