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Disability Rights Commission

A revolutionary new product that takes much of the effort out of reaching from or propelling a wheelchair is officially launched on Friday 9th July 2004 at the Scottish Mobility Roadshow in Edinburgh.

The Bodypoint Hip Grip is an innovative and dynamic pelvic stabilisation device from the United States that helps the wheelchair user to maintain stability, whilst allowing the pelvis to move freely. The Hip Grip has taken over five years to develop and is the result of a 36-month, 23-user clinical trial.

Unlike other pelvic support devices which tend to fix the pelvis in a static non functional position, the Hip Grip allows a person to move their pelvis forward in the wheelchair and then pulls the pelvis back into a neutral posture without the user having to work hard constantly to maintain their position.

The combination of improved pelvic positioning and dynamic pelvic movement improves a person's sitting posture and enhances functional activities, such as reaching and propelling the chair, making it a powerful performance aid for many disabled people, including wheelchair athletes.

The user is therefore able to undertake these everyday tasks using a fraction of the energy they may have expended without the Hip Grip. Clinical evaluations reveal the Hip Grip:

� Gave dramatic improvement in reach and range of  
  motion (extra 6cm of reach on average)
� Reduced undesired pelvic movement
� Improved posture, comfort, and upper body function
� Helped to bring the pelvis back to neutral posture after allowing movement
� Gave better upper body (trunk) control
� Decreased pelvic tilt
� Was easy to use and aesthetically pleasing
� Increased feelings of stability in the wheelchair (no falling out)

President of Bodypoint Hip Grip Dave Hintzman commented: 'There is no doubt that the Hip Grip has had a significant impact on the lives of people who've tried the device. 

'One person told us she used to spend half an hour on average before she went to work cleaning out her cat boxes. After she was fitted with the Hip Grip, she carried out the same task in just ten minutes.'

Demonstrations of the Hip Grip have been taking place at hospitals, wheelchair clinics and rehabilitation centres throughout the UK. It appears to be most useful for those people with specific disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Muscular Dystrophy and those with Cerebral Palsy.

Journalist Isobel Glentworth has MS. The 45-year old is one of many people throughout the UK who are trying out the new Hip Grip. 'I started to notice the benefits of the device almost as soon as it was fitted,' she said. 'Before I received it, moving about in my wheelchair was so exhausting I needed to sleep during the afternoon to recover my strength. Now I'm not so tired in the afternoon. I can even use a knife and fork and eat properly at a table, when previously I couldn't.'

The Bodypoint Hip Grip costs �450 excluding VAT. The special hip belt costs �50 (the price will depend on the type of hip belt ordered).

The product is available from BES Rehab on 0845 1300 237.