Michelle L. Lange, OTR/L, ABDA, ATP/SMS

When ordering or receiving Dynamic Head Support Hardware, many people ask us “Where’s the Ball?” Most head supports (or headrests) use a ball between the head pad and the mounting hardware. Seating Dynamics does not. Why?

“Where’s the Ball?”
Our Head Support Hardware does not include the typical ball used to connect to the occipital pad. Instead, we use an adapter which attaches directly to the pad. This adapter allows for full adjustment in multiple planes but holds position much better than a round ball.

In a prior blog, we addressed how the Seating Dynamics Head Support Mounting Hardware maintains its position. I quoted Greg Peek as saying “it is generally accepted that the old style headrest hardware using a ball and socket does not stay in place, it slips and moves, the more you tighten it, the more it moves. There have been many attempts to improve on it with different methods of clamping, but with little success.” Greg’s solution was to eliminate the part that doesn’t work, the ball and socket, and replace it with a multiple disc finger joint with a huge amount of surface area to clamp.

“The ball hardware allows me to angle the head pad. Does this mounting hardware allow this, as well?”
The mounting hardware allows significant adjustment of the head pad position, including rotation vertically and horizontally.

“Is this hardware the same on both the Static and Dynamic options?”
The mounting hardware is the same. If you are working with a client who does not need dynamic movement at the head, but whose current head support is constantly out of position, try the Seating Dynamics Static Head Support Hardware to allow full positional adjustment, as well as to maintain position. Keep in mind though, if the client is exerting sufficient force to move the head pads out of position, they may well benefit from a Dynamic option.

Here are two additional resources on how it works: Where's the ball? and Maintaining Head Support.