“Being able to go from laying down to sitting up is important in living with a Spinal Cord Injury and is difficult for quadriplegics.”
Mason is a C5,6,7 quadriplegic, and he demonstrates how he’s learned to master the skill of going from lying down on the floor to sitting up.
The process involves rolling onto one side of the body then pushing against the floor into a seated position.
Mason begins by lying supine on the floor. He swings both of his arms over to his right side, then quickly back to his left side and rolls onto his left shoulder. The arm swinging helps to build up momentum so that the can complete the roll onto his shoulder.
Then Mason extends his right arm to help bring his right hip up off the floor. Now he is completely on his left side.
To begin sitting up, Mason pushes on the floor with his right fist and curls his body inward. Then he pushes with his left elbow to lift his torso off the floor. At this point, he hooks his right fist around the outside of his right thigh, and at the same time pushes against the floor with his left wrist – and he’s up!
Mason explains all the steps in this video! (Watch him demonstrate sitting up without narration starting at 3:18.)
Mason even adds in some tips on going from a sitting position to lying down. He puts his arms out to his side and somewhat behind his body. He leans back and slowly walks his body down using his fists against the floor.
“After you get back so far, you can go down on one elbow, then the other one, then slowly work your way out so you don’t go down really hard.”
Thanks for these tips, Mason! Be sure to share this post with others to help them sharpen their independent-living skills.