Castors and paws

Physiotherapist

By sitting on a saddle chair like the Salli chair, I avoid problems between the shoulder blades, in the lumbar spine and suffering from buffalo hump. I feel that I get a good posture in the body as the chair is designed as it is. With the ergonomically designed two-part seat, the pelvis can be rotated slightly forward, as in standing, which means that my back retains its natural curve and the head falls into a straight vertical line with the back, hip and heel, when seen from the side. In other words, just as an ergonomic work chair should be.

Lotta Fallenius, Workhealth Physiotherapist
Sweden

Further information: OMT Physiotherapist Nina Saarikivi / INTO Terveys

I had the opportunity to test Salli Swing at Sjukgymnastdagarna in Göteborg, Sweden. I thought that I was already sitting right, but because I sit so much in my work I was ready to try changing my office chair to Salli Swing. I used to have a 12 years old traditional office chair that had a lot of adjustments to make sitting ergonomic and good, but I don’t always live like I preach as a physiotherapist. I often sat in a bad position, which resulted in a tired lower back and affected the wellbeing of my whole body.

Now that I’m using Salli Swing I seem to be more active while sitting. There was a certain adjustment period in the beginning, but now it feels all right. My back feels better and I have started using my height-adjustable table more, and even work standing at times. I vary positions between sitting and standing, thanks to the new chair.

I can really recommend this chair.

Physiotherapist
Linköping, Sweden

Osteopath

Some of my patients suffer from head, neck and back pains that in many cases are related to sitting. Long lasting static load creates strain on the spine, back muscles, and ligaments. These tissues overstrain, loose their tone, and cause improper posture. Sitting for extended periods of time in an improper position also creates pressure on the respiratory system, other internal organs, blood circulation, and lymphatic systems.

It is important that our sitting should be as conscious and dynamic as possible. Height-adjustable desks stimulate dynamic sitting by making it possible to alternate sitting and standing throughout the day. While searching for solutions that would promote the correct and optimal sitting position I have discovered that a saddle chair is one of the most effective solutions.

Saddle chair allows distributing the load between the spine, hips and legs, By using this type of chair, at the correct sitting height, we help our bodies to maintain the physiological curve of the spine, and to keep our back, hips and leg muscles active. Some saddle chair models have an adjustable space between the two parts of the seat, which is important for the male sexual anatomy. Moreover, it is possible to easily adapt the chair to the anatomy of narrow or wide hips and coccyx.

The overall effect is also very beneficial, because it eases breathing, relaxes muscles and diaphragm, as well as helps to get rid of health disorders caused by an improper sitting posture. All these advantages are combined in Salli chairs.

Žilvinas Kasteckas, M.D., D.O.
Lithuania

Optician

For over five months now, I have had the opportunity to use a Salli saddle chair. My experiences have been very positive. As a matter of fact, anything negative or reproachable has not come up. The model I have been using is the MultiAdjuster, which has the seat width adjustment.

I have been an optician for over 20 years now, and I have sat on many kinds of chairs. Some have had backrests and even arm rests. The seat and backrests have usually been adjustable to a certain degree. Optician’s daily work includes eye exams and contact lens fittings. That means that I sit in front of a desk or behind a microscope while working. The sitting is not continuous, but on a daily basis I sit for 20–30 minutes at a time for approximately 8–14 times a day. When I’m doing an eye examination, I cannot sit still, since I have to be able move around in front of the patient. Problems of the lower back, pain, tiredness, numbing, and blood circulation problems in the legs have been troubling me in the past.

Now I know how easy and effortless it is to sit on a proper chair. After using my Salli chair, I have not had any back problems or numbness in my legs. The chair moves around lightly, but is still very sturdy to sit on. The chair is not unstable or wobbly. I don’t get the numb, tingling feeling in my legs anymore and the sitting position is relaxed.

I have quite short legs, but the Salli chair can be adjusted low enough. It’s good to sit on a Salli, my posture stays good and moving around is easy. It’s the best work chair I have ever sat on.

Marjo Jormanainen
Joensuu, Finland

Neurosurgeon

About two years ago we first tested the Salli MultiAdjuster ergonomic chair for surgeons. It came to our attention through cooperation with a local Salli dealer in our project on the improvement of ergonomics in the OR. Especially for the field of neurosurgery, an ergonomic sitting position is crucial, since many of the surgical procedures last for several hours.

After extensive testing of the MultiAdjuster chair for surgeons we found the ergonomic sitting position, especially together with lumbar backrest, very useful, especially during surgeries where the patient is positioned in a half-sitting position. In this position, the surgeon has to work with his arms extended, leaning backwards in order to be able to work on the posterior cranial fossa. Sitting on the ergonomic MultiAdjuster chair forces the neurosurgeon to keep an upright posture, and by doing so keeps the strain on the lower back to a minimum.

At first, several of my colleagues were hesitant to use this chair due its unusual saddle shape. However, after testing it, it became very obvious that there is a big advantage in using this ergonomic chair for long procedures, and several chairs were ordered by our department. It proved to be very convenient in its handling in terms of changing the height and the tilt of the seat.

It is my personal opinion that over time the MultiAdjuster chair for surgeons reduces the stress on the back of a neurosurgeon. Since I have started to use the Salli MultiAdjuster chair, I have not gone back to using the conventional bar-stool-type chairs. For me personally, the saddle type chair, especially with a lower back support, is one of the best ergonomic chairs for the OR on the market.

Dr Dr Guenther C. Feigl, MD, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital
Tubingen, Germany

Safety representative

HögforsGST is a pioneer in heavy metal industry when it comes to using Salli Saddle Chairs to improve staff wellbeing. On Salli chairs it is easy to sit in an ergonomic position. Our experience is clearly positive.

One day of sick leave costs the employer about 350–400 euros. The management realized that the investment in the seats would pay for itself many times over already during the first year.
The first chairs were given to people who had problems with their lower backs. Those who usually suffered from inconvenience and pain after work now felt no pain at all.

Salli Systems has several good solutions for the manufacturing industry. The chairs have spark protected upholstery, and one model is especially designed for welding where support is needed for the wrists. This was brilliant because we have to weld pipes of different sizes. The welder can sit on a Salli without having to think about the posture and can concentrate on the seam. Work is efficient, and the back will not become stiff or numb.

Stretching Support has also been good for us because it makes maintaining the position little easier. Salli also has large hard castors that work well in our industrial production halls. We have machines of different heights, but Salli could offer the perfect chair solutions for each height and also a chair for very heavy users (over 120 kg).

Salli’s solutions are ideal for heavy metal industry, where part of the work must be done in sitting position. There really is a difference in the result when we use modern and ergonomic furniture. One sits in the correct position and even those with a hunched posture learned to sit right.

Petri Komppa
Leppävirta, Finland

Company doctor

Because of its special construction, the saddle chair offers advantages for the assembly area. In activities that require frequent change of positions, the employees (assuming the work area has level floors without tripping hazard) can shift to several different positions without difficulty and therefore use their musculoskeletal system variably during assembly activities by assuming different postures.

Observations at a pre-assembly workstation in the construction vehicle industry (asphalt paver) showed that a change between, e.g. a half-sitting position (on the Salli Saddle Chair) and a standing position, permitted continuation of the activity at the same work height in different positions using different muscle groups, thereby preventing the effects of forced postures, such as those resulting from standing up continuously. These advantages were confirmed by various older employees (50 years and older), as well as by younger employees with intervertebral disk-related ailments, the latter caused in part by the fact that they were standing for long periods of time.

In another case, an insurance company became involved in procuring the Salli Saddle Chair for an employee with significant limitations of the musculoskeletal system (chronic polyarthritis in the intertarsal joints). The work involved taking a part from a pallet cage, inserting it into a press, then removing the item and depositing it into another pallet cage. It was only possible to do this standing up, due to the relatively large range of mobility, but with the Salli Saddle Chair it could be performed sitting down or – if so desired – by switching between sitting and standing up, which relieves the strain on the intertarsal joints in particular. Full-time work was therefore possible again.

These positive evaluations in individual cases can easily be seen as improvement in the work stages in terms of occupational medicine.

The Salli chair offers flexible motion sequences, which probably could not be achieved by the usual rolling stools or other sit-stand furniture currently on the market. In addition, the “riding position” on the Salli chair promotes a healthy spine position.

In cases of rehabilitation where there is a danger of an employee losing his or her job, the situation can be resolved by using this chair. Insurance company, or other authorities, should not be forgotten, if they provide compensation.

Dr Gerald Müller-Silvergieter
Oldenburg, Germany

Carpenter

Due to a serious prostate disease, it was not possible for me to participate in working life as a carpenter, since I had considerable pain when sitting. We sit a lot at our workplace.

Therefore, the German pension insurance granted me a Salli Saddle Chair (chair model: Salli Twin with a stretching support).

The two-part seat, the inclination adjustment and the stretching support help me a lot. After only 3–4 months since starting using the Salli Saddle Chair, I am pleased and very happy to be able to participate in working life again, and now without pain.

Carpenter
Northern Germany

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Tomi Seppälä
Finland

Welder

I have been using a Salli Saddle Chair since 2007, and I just bought my third Salli. I’m very pleased with the chairs and we use them daily daily; actually we only sit on anything else during coffee breaks.

There is a lot to do in industrial ergonomics. I’m happy to invest in it because I can immediately see the increase in work productivity and the decrease in sick leaves. Even though I only employ two people I believe that an investment in ergonomics will be worthwhile. Besides, it’s nice to work when you have a comfortable chair.

All our chairs have the two-part seat which is very important in this male-dominated field. Also our guys can keep their good posture for the whole day, because the chair does not press the crotch and they do not have to round the lower back to avoid the uncomfortable pressure, not even when they are bending forward.

Lilli Asikainen, Entrepreneur, Tigger
Sastamala, Finland