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| The Bambach Saddle Seat is
such a radical concept in task seating that you are bound
to have questions. This page should answer them all. |
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What is the advantage of The Bambach
Saddle Seat?
(i) Good task seating should:-
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Rotate the pelvis upright and position
the body's centre of gravity over the Ischial tuberosities
(these are our seat bones). |
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Keep the spinal column in its neutral
curves. |
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Open up the thorax (chest) and abdomen
to allow full function of the lungs and abdominal organs. |
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Assist blood and lymphatic circulation. |
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Enhance muscle tone as the position
is active rather than inactive. |
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Ensure that work can be performed
easily with major joints at minimum stress because they
are within mid-range of their function. |
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Ensure that the user can function
optimally. |
The Bambach Saddle Seat does ALL of the above
Conventional seating cannot provide these outcomes. In conventional
seating the centre of gravity is behind the seat bones with
the pelvis rolled back and the lumbar spinal curve flattened,
necessitating stressful muscular activity to maintain the upright
position for work. The Saddle Seat places the centre of gravity
over the seat bones by stabilising the pelvis in its upright,
neutral position which ensures the spine is also in its neutral
curves. The hip joints are in abduction and external rotation
which ensures a close contact position. The ball of the
femur, being now comfortably within the socket of the pelvis
results in less stress on these joints.
Bambach Saddle Seat's high, straddle posture supports and stabilizes
your body, freeing your hands and feet for work and movement.
It is easy to move about in your workspace, to reach equipment,
or to reach a foot switch. This stable, straddle posture
also improves hand accuracy and power, and improves sitting
balance.
One "rides" the Bambach Saddle Seat just as one rides
on horseback. It is the ideal sitting posture. The hip joints
rest in a relaxed open position and the spine is in perfect
balance. The unique seat contour ensures you'll bend forward
from your hips, not from your back.
(ii) The straddle position with knees apart
has "preventive value against future hip disease"
Prof.Dr. G. Schumoe.Orthopedic University Hospital.
Bonn. Germany
(iii) In the upright position supported by the Saddle
Seat, your diaphragm is not pushed up into your vital organs
so your body functions better than on a normal seat. Your abdominal
organs e.g. lungs, liver, alimentary tract, etc. are not compressed
and not pressing onto the bladder and bowel.
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Who Should Use The Bambach Saddle
Seat?
Anyone who wants perfect posture in a task seat.
The Bambach Saddle Seat is ideal for people who work with their
hands, such as dentists, surgeons, assembly workers, lab workers,
hairdressers, grocery clerks, artists, therapists, musicians,
teachers.
You will especially benefit from The Bambach Saddle Seat if
your work involves:
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Close work requiring accuracy with
excellent eye-hand co-ordination; |
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A lot of reaching; |
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Moving your body along with your
arms; |
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Work spread out over a large area; |
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Varying work heights; |
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Viewing closely or at odd angles;
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Long periods of standing; |
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Getting up and down often from your
seat. |
eg. Dentists, Surgeons, Machine Operators, Computer Operators,
Artists, Nurses in Dialysis and Maternity.
If you suffer from painful conditions of the neck, back, or
upper limbs, or if you have a neurological or musculoskeletal
condition, you may also benefit from using The Bambach Saddle
Seat.
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Will a Kneeling Chair Work as Well?
No. The Saddle Seat supports more correct postures than
a kneeling chair. A kneeling chair puts pressure on the
knees. There is no knee pressure in a Saddle Seat.
In a kneeling chair your feet are locked in underneath you.
In the Saddle Seat your feet are free to operate equipment or
help you scoot around your work area and there is full floor
contact for the sole of the foot.
Getting in and out of a kneeling chair is difficult as your
feet get entangled in the kneeling pad. Getting in an
out of a Saddle Seat is easy.
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Will a bicycle seat work as well?
Not quite. While you can straddle a bicycle seat in the same
way you straddle a Saddle Seat, they bicycle seat provides little
support to the mass of the buttocks.This can be uncomfortable
over a long period and does not give adequate stability.
The position of the pelvis is different on a bicycle seat. The
pelvis is tilted back, the body is not upright, and the hips
are not abducted (not in the spread position). This makes the
legs work very hard to stabilize the body.
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Can Children use The Bambach Saddle
Seat?
Yes. In fact, The Bambach Saddle Seat was originally developed
for disabled children. Children naturally sit with perfect
posture in The Bambach Saddle Seat. They love the greater
freedom of movement and easy access to activities that the seat
provides. It's the ideal seat for a student.
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Are there Different Saddle Sizes?
The standard Bambach Saddle Seat fits most adults and school-age
children. The sheepskin cover can give softness for sensitive
or delicate people (but it does also widen the seat), older
children and small adults with limited hip mobility, and is
more anatomically comfortable for some men.
It is the spread of the legs, called hip abduction, that stabilizes
the pelvis and allows the pelvis and spine to rest in a natural
posture. Hip abduction also ensures your hip joints are
in their ideal alignment in their sockets. As hip abduction
decreases, the spine becomes less stable and the pelvis tilts
backwards and the hip joints are out of ideal close contact.
Be sure that your clothing does not interfere with your hip
abduction (or leg spread). Wear loose trousers or a wide
skirt.
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How
High should I Adjust my Bambach Saddle Seat?
In a Bambach Saddle Seat you sit much higher than in a conventional
seat. You are actually in between sitting and standing.
When standing next to your Saddle Seat, the seat contour (the
hollow part) should be about two inches (5cm) above the crease
at the back of your knee. This height opens your hip angle
and allows your feet to rest comfortably on the floor.
There are three pneumatic lift sizes available to customize
the height of your Saddle Seat.
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How
high should I Position my Work?
If you normally work at a traditional office or computer desk,
you need to raise it quite a bit to benefit from The Bambach
Saddle Seat. Place a shim under the desk legs (for example,
using Deskalatorsú, wood or bricks). Raise your
computer screen so that the screen's top edge is opposite your
eyebrow, and keyboard just below wrist level - wrists just below
elbow level - shoulders and neck relaxed.
If you usually work on a high drafting stool or in a standing
posture, you can probably switch to The Bambach Saddle Seat
with little or no adjustment of your working height.
If your work is higher than ideal, use The Bambach Saddle seat
with a footring.
If your work height is lower than recommended you may have to
tuck your feet under the Saddle Seat. This limits your mobility
in the seat and your spinal postures will be less than ideal.
Even so, this may be preferable to a traditional task chair
if your work requires reaching forward. Many occupations require
working at a lower than ideal height, for example, pre-school
teachers, car door assembly work, podiatrists, and nurses operating
dialysis machines.
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Do I
need a backrest on my Bambach Saddle Seat?
The open hip angle and straddle posture supports the lumbar
curve without a backrest. Traditional "ergonomic"
chairs support your lumbar curve by pushing into your back.
This is not the case in a Saddle Seat.
If you select a model with a backrest, use it just as a rest.
Lean against the backrest while you rest, listen, talk, or when
you sit back to think. You should not need the backrest
for most upright and forward work.
Take care not to position the backrest so far forward that it
pushes you onto the front pommel of the seat. That hurts. In
the Saddle Seat there should be no backrest pressure pushing
into your back.
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How long does it take to get used
to The Bambach Saddle Seat?
(i) Start by using the seat no more than one hour each day.
It may take a few weeks to get used to the unaccustomed seat
pressures. Unless you are a seasoned horseback, motorcycle,
or bicycle rider, you should build up to saddle sitting gradually.
If you have been sitting with poor posture for many years, your
body will need time to adjust - your hips may be tight and will
need time to stretch out; your abdominal and back muscles may
be unaccustomed to upright postures and will need time to tone.
Be patient.
Have you ridden a horse? Remember when you first get into
the saddle you have to wiggle around, sit back and deep into
the saddle, then after a while it becomes quite comfortable.
It is the same with the Saddle Seat. If you experience
some saddle soreness, try adjusting the seat angle to a more
horizontal position so you can sit down and back. And
remember, in time your body will comfortably adjust.
Explore all seat tilt and height variations. Small adjustments
will change the distribution of pressures. You may be
more comfortable with the sheepskin seat cover, which both softens
the seat and widens the support surface.
(ii) If the seat has a back it is important for
the first few weeks to push the back as far back as possible
so that you are using the seat only.
Adjust the tilt until you are as comfortable as can be considering
your current fitness. This will improve and as it does,
the seat can be brought to a more central position.
(iii) Some men have difficulty in adjusting and
this is made easier by having the seat tilted down at the front
to the maximum and adjusted to a neutral position. Also, when
sitting down, sliding back onto the seat helps to position the
male parts more comfortably, the same as horse riders.
(iv) Some people experience tightness in thighs
and hips. Again your body will adjust. The position with your
knees apart greatly reduces the chance of hip joint disease
at a later age. Tight muscles, tendons and ligaments will soften
and relax, which is desirable.
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