Tips & tools for effective pressure management
Pressure management is a crucial element to health & wellbeing, and maintaining the integrity of the skin, especially when managing injury or surgery recovery, or comfort and support for those with limited mobility. As such, here we’ll explore how to manage pressure sores: tips & tools for effective pressure management.
Tips & tools for effective pressure management
Pressure sores and pressure ulcers can be extremely painful and debilitating, yet are thankfully fairly easy to prevent and/or manage with the appropriate knowledge and tools.
Some tips & tools for pressure management include:
Redistribute pressure: redistributing pressure is an effective way to prevent or manage pressure sores. This can be achieved with regular turning or movement alongside the use of pressure cushions or positioning cushions specifically designed for preventing pressure sores & ulcers.
Stay active: wherever possible, staying active is advisable in the management of pressure and relief/prevention of sores & ulcers. Although this may not be possible for some, moving around, getting out of bed or a chair and moving positions will help to prevent sores.
Change positions regularly: where moving around – i.e. getting up out of your chair or bed – is not possible, changing positions regularly and ensuring one area of the body does not carry the majority of the weight for any extended period of time is a great way to manage pressure.
Check the skin often: checking the skin often for discolouration – such as redness – or signs of breakage can also help prevent sores and ulcers, as early detection can lead to early treatment and therefore prevention or remedy.
Transfer techniques: learning transfer techniques can also help relieve or prevent pressure sores as transfering in the ‘correct’ way can stop the skin from dragging along or becoming particularly irritated by certain surfaces which, particularly over time, can lead to breakdowns in the integrity of the skin.
In short, there are many ways to manage pressure sores, including using cushions specifically designed for pressure relief and positioning, such as PosiPerle Postural Positioning Cushions, CareFlow Postural Positioning Cushions and Pressure Care Cushions for Seating.
