Ben Caton, Managing Director of Ergochair, tells Healthcare World about the importance of bespoke seating for health
In today’s fast-paced work environment, prolonged sitting has become the norm, often leading to various health issues, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. It’s often not until people begin to suffer from prolonged back pain that they finally understand that it can be due to incorrect posture while seated, and it’s this realisation that leads them to search out Ergochair which crafts bespoke ergonomic chairs tailored to individual needs.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people working from home has surged. An estimated 6 out of 10 people work from chairs that don’t fit them, leading to issues spanning from poor posture, chronic back issues, and muscle imbalances, which puts immense pressure on the healthcare system. Poor sitting habits often lead to conditions such as lower back pain and herniated discs, and these musculoskeletal conditions cost the UK National Health Service (NHS) £4.76 billion annually.
In fact, according to the World Health Organisation (NHS), over 619m people suffered lower back pain (LBP) in 2020, and the numbers are expected to rise to 843m by 2050. As LBP is the primary cause of disability, Ergochair uses science and technology to prevent the risks of developing LBP, reducing the burden on people and healthcare systems alike.
At the helm of Ergochair is Managing Director Ben Caton, whose background in health clubs gives an extra dimension to the company’s success. Under his leadership, Ergochair has experienced consistent double-digit growth over the past decade, now boasting a multi-million-pound turnover. “We are a life-changing solution for each individual,” he says. “And that person has a real story. It might be working. It might be going back to work. It might even just be living for a happier, more fulfilled life.”
Chair prescription
Ergochair was founded in 2002 to produce custom seating for people with special postural needs. Since then, the company has helped more than 1,000,000 people to sit comfortably, improving the quality of life for those with conditions ranging from a generic ‘bad back’ to severe musculoskeletal disorders. “Ergochair’s own software allows any healthcare professional to specify and prescribe a custom chair for their patient’s exact bespoke needs in seconds,” says Ben.
With powerful diagnostics and support for pre-existing conditions, Easispec works with every users’ unique dimensions in mind and contains thousands of components for ultimate personalisation. Automated, detailed assessment reports to make every job easier and instant quoting for comprehensive specifications. Each chair is precision-made, considering factors such as postural abnormalities and prolonged musculoskeletal conditions. By adopting innovations such as pressure mapping, foam sculpting, and air cell technology, the design team are transforming lives by providing custom-made ergonomic chairs tailored to individual needs.
“We create chairs for people that might just have a postural abnormality or a prolonged musculoskeletal condition,” says Ben. “Through innovation and by using real metric data with the scientific basis, we’re able to produce a chair that we know can cater for ordinary people who need a better fitting chair as well as those who have complex postural conditions.”
Life after elite sport
Charlie Sharples, a former Gloucester rugby player now working in an office as a financial adviser, gives the design team high praise. “When the guys came in for the initial fitting, I never knew how much thought and science goes into your posture in an office chair. Finding out about how the muscles are used when you’re in the chair and how it affects your posture, as well as all the different ways you can adjust the chair, was really interesting,” he observes.
Charlie retired from professional rugby after playing an incredible 15 seasons with Gloucester Rugby and earning 4 caps for England Rugby. He started studying for his financial qualifications in 2016, after completing a degree during his rugby career. Having come from sport and typically very active but now sitting in an office all day in a chair, he notices the aches and pains around the shoulders and back. “Having a bespoke and customisable chair can be good for my longevity and my posture. The fact that I have a bit of an added extra with the Gloucester Rugby logo makes it that little bit more special. I look forward to coming into work every day and sitting down in front of my computer at my desk in pure comfort.”
Environmental sustainability
Beyond individual health, Ergochair is deeply committed to environmental sustainability. As a signatory of the UN Climate Pledge’s Race to Zero, the company is among the smallest businesses globally to take on this commitment. Their sustainability initiatives include the use of electric vehicles, installation of solar panels powering daily operations, and pioneering the use of fabrics derived entirely from waste materials. “We don’t believe in stasis and we don’t believe in staying where we are with the product that we’ve got,” says Ben. “There’s always room for growth, and that’s why we innovate.”
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