New Insights into Bedside Dining Posture! Lateral Armrest Support Contributes to Improved Posture, Breathing, and Reduced Shoulder Strain [Kobe Gakuin University x Seahonence Joint Research]

Seahonence Corporation (Headquarters: 3-10-17 Fukae-kita, Higashinari-ku, Osaka; CEO: Tatsuki Masumoto) and a research group led by Lecturer Daisuke Tashiro of the Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Comprehensive Rehabilitation at Kobe Gakuin University, have quantitatively demonstrated that upper limb support using the lateral armrest 'Emi Table' during seated bedside meals contributes to improved posture, reduced muscle strain around the shoulders, and enhanced respiratory function.

These research findings are expected to contribute to improving dining environments in medical and long-term care settings, as well as the evidence-based improvement, development, and more appropriate utilization of welfare equipment.

[Research Background and Issues]
In bedside meals at hospitals or for home care, patients often adopt a 'forward elbow support' posture, resting both elbows on an overbed table in a leaning position to reduce strain on their arms and facilitate breathing.
However, this posture has been pointed out as potentially having adverse effects on respiratory and swallowing functions, as it causes mechanical changes such as a rounded back (thoracic kyphosis) and an elevated chin (cervical extension), which can lead to shallow breathing and increase the risk of aspiration during meals.

[Research Contents and Results]
In this study, 40 healthy young adults were asked to perform simulated dining motions in bed, comparing the following three postural conditions:
(A) No support
(B) Forward elbow support
(C) Lateral armrest support (using the 'Emi Table' by Seahonence)

As a result of comprehensive evaluation including posture alignment, muscle stiffness, vital capacity, and subjective comfort, the following benefits were verified:

1. Maintenance of Ideal Posture (Improvement of Back and Neck)
Lateral armrest support (C) significantly reduced rounding of the back (thoracic kyphosis) compared to no support (A). Furthermore, it prevented the excessive neck arching (cervical extension) seen in forward elbow support (B), enabling the maintenance of more natural and neutral head and neck alignment.

2. Significant Reduction in Strain on Shoulder Muscles
Measurements of muscle stiffness in the 'upper trapezius' and 'middle deltoid,' which are indicators of strain on the neck and shoulders, confirmed that lateral armrest support (C) significantly reduced excessive muscle tension, thereby alleviating the burden on the shoulder girdle.

3. Improvement in Respiratory Function (Vital Capacity)
Due to the combination of improved posture and reduced muscle strain around the shoulders, the rib cage became easier to expand, and vital capacity significantly increased compared to the no-support posture.

4. Overwhelming 'Comfort'
In subjective comfort evaluations, 80% of participants chose lateral armrest support (C) as the 'most comfortable posture.' In contrast, 70% of participants responded that the conventional forward elbow support (B) was the 'most uncomfortable.'

[Future Prospects and Social Significance]
This study suggests that a simply structured device that supports the upper limbs from the side can have positive effects on posture and respiratory mechanics during meals. On the other hand, it suggested that the forward leaning posture (forward elbow support) may warrant re-evaluation as a dining posture because it leads to excessive neck extension.

These research findings are expected to be useful for proposing new dining environments in medical and care settings and for the improvement and dissemination of welfare equipment around beds. Currently, based on these results, clinical studies are underway targeting patients with respiratory or neuromuscular diseases, as well as elderly people with reduced physical strength. By summarizing these clinical studies as a case series in the future, we aim to verify effectiveness in clinical settings and contribute to the proposal of new seating strategies in medical and care facilities, as well as the ergonomic improvement and development of bedside devices.