How Hard Is It To Push A Wheelchair?

Many wheelchair users are strong enough to propel their own chairs using the handrails on the wheels. But there are also those whose upper body strength has been compromised by injury or illnesses like multiple sclerosis and need their carer to push the wheelchair. Can anyone do it, and just how hard is it to push a wheelchair?

Although it might sound like a simple task, it’s not that easy. A lot depends on external factors such as the terrain the wheelchair needs to cover, the surfaces to be negotiated, and also the design, weight, and condition of the wheelchair. It also depends on the physical strength of the carer.

There’s a lot that can be done to make the task of pushing a wheelchair easier. It’s really important for the passenger to get around, visit friends, go sightseeing and do all the things that non-disabled do. They need to feel safe and secure in their wheelchairs and want to know that their carer is able to handle things without too much stress. Let’s find out how to do that.

This article will concentrate on pushing a wheelchair by a carer and the difficulties and solutions involved. However, most of the issues and tips also apply to wheelchair users propelling themselves using the rim handles fitted to the wheels.

Before looking at what can be done to make the carer’s job easier, let’s consider what makes it difficult.

There are several types of manual wheelchairs, including:

Heavier chairs will clearly need more effort to move than lightweight or ultra-lightweight ones. If the passenger is also heavy, the total load might make pushing quite strenuous.

The condition of the wheelchair is another factor to consider and check on. Are the tires correctly inflated, have good tread, are the brakes in working order, and do the wheels rotate freely?

If you are pushing the wheelchair from room to room indoors, on level floors, there is very little resistance to overcome, and the biggest problem is maneuvering the wheelchair through passages and doorways, which takes more skill than you’d think!

Outdoors, much more effort is needed, pushing the wheelchair from one level to another up and down ramps and dealing with different surfaces like sloping lawns, cobbled walkways, and gravel paths. Getting up and down curbs is another action that takes a certain technique to master and a reasonable amount of strength.

Bear in mind that many wheelchair users are older people, and the chances are pretty good that the person pushing the chair is a husband, wife, or partner, so they aren’t young either. For this reason, it’s important for both of you that pushing the wheelchair is as easy as possible.

Use the correct technique: pushing a heavy chair up a ramp is possibly the hardest task a carer will have to perform, but the same technique applies to all wheelchair pushing. Lower back pain is the most prevalent result of using the wrong technique, so ensure that:

Keep off the grass (and sand); some wheelchairs are specially fitted with “offroad” tires that are designed to roll over softer surfaces without sinking in because of their wider footprint. Nevertheless, it’s much harder to push a wheelchair when the tires are meeting resistance. Instead, stay on paved pathways where possible.

Large rear wheels are better outdoors as they offer less rolling resistance and cope better with bumps, stones, and other road surface irregularities.

Tires may be solid, semi-solid (filled with foam), or inflatable. Inflatable tires offer the most comfortable ride but are subject to punctures and must be kept at the proper pressure to make pushing as easy as possible.

Ensure that the caster wheels in front of the wheelchair are in good condition. Although they carry very little weight, the casters affect the steering of the wheelchair, and if they’re not freely moving, it can make pushing very difficult.

Never pull a wheelchair when you can push it. It is sometimes impossible to push a wheelchair from the back because of space limitations. You might also try to pull a wheelchair out of sand in which it’s stuck or pull it up onto a curb. Unless there’s no other way, don’t try to pull the wheelchair – it’s a lot harder on your lower back and could cause injury.   

Pushing a wheelchair can be physically demanding on the carer, but it’s also hard on the passenger, who is totally reliant on the strength and skill of the other person. For this reason, to make the activity as easy as possible, it’s vital that passengers and carers communicate with each other.

The passenger can guide the carer by pointing out the best route to take, any obstacles they may see in front of them, and even encouraging them when the going gets tough. The carer, in turn, needs to keep the wheelchair passenger fully informed about their progress, assuring them that all is going well or letting them know about any unplanned action, like stopping to rest or taking a detour to make the push a little easier. The passenger is always the captain of the ship, so they must feel in control for their own peace of mind.

Pushing a wheelchair can be hard if care is not taken to prepare for the activity. The equipment must be in good shape, as must the person doing the pushing! But pushing a disabled person, using the proper technique and the best wheelchair for the conditions, can be a rewarding experience for the carer and the passenger and one that gives great pleasure and satisfaction to both.