Cushions have been around since biblical times. They have always been an envelope of material into which some soft material is placed to provide the cushioning. The materials used for cushioning have ranged from leaves, straw, wood shavings, wool, foam, liquid and air, to name a few. The only difference between most of the cushions of today and those of biblical times is the cushioning material inside the cover.
Traditional cushions all have worked exactly the same way. When a client sits on the cushion, their weight goes straight down until they hit bottom or have reached the extent of what the cushion will allow. All of these cushions shape themselves perfectly around the client’s posterior and continue to put upward pressure against the client’s posterior.
Enter EquaGel cushions, the only cushion designed to keep the client sitting on top of the cushion while relieving pressure points, such as the ischial tuberosity. In other words, any client of any weight or shape will never hit bottom on an EquaGel cushion.
EquaGel is a dry-polymer gel, almost rubbery. It is not a liquid! One of its most amazing features is referred to as “column buckling.” Simply put, each wall of gel is capable of supporting only a marginal load. When that threshold is exceeded, the wall buckles under and passes the weight to the surrounding walls for support. This "buckling and weight-passing" happens instantly and repeatedly until the maximum surface area of pressing weight is evenly supported by sufficient walls to hold the weight up, regardless of its shape. The pressure points of the ischium and coccyx are allowed to buckle into the cushion without resistance while the buttocks are supported evenly. The areas most likely to develop pressure sores are allowed to float nearly pressure-free within the pad while the client's weight is distributed evenly across the cushion.
Additionally, the open cell design of EquaGel cushions provides for air-flow beneath the client. Hence an EquaGel cushion provides the client with a temperature neutral environment. The client should never experience a build-up of body heat that ultimately creates perspiration as occurs on foam, liquid gel and air cushions. Hence, EquaGel cushions practically eliminate the three factors most commonly related to the formation of pressure sores — pressure, heat and moisture.
Don't settle on a regular cushion. EquaGel cushions perform differently. Instead of allowing the client’s weight to go straight down until he or she hits bottom, the EquaGel cushion distributes the weight evenly across the top of the cushion. No other cushion performs like an EquaGel cushion for extended comfort and superior protection.