During a sliding board transfer for a C7 injury, a patient uses a movement strategy that coordinates head movement with hip movement to assist the transfer. This strategy is called?

During a sliding board transfer for a C7 injury, a patient uses a movement strategy that coordinates head movement with hip movement to assist the transfer. This strategy is called?

• A. Angular momentum
• B. Head-hips relationship
• C. Distal fixation
• D. Gravity-assisted substitution

Answer: (B)

Coordinating head movement with hip movement to drive a transfer relies on using proximal body segments to generate and control momentum. The head-hips relationship is about sequencing and timing: turning or nodding the head in the direction of transfer helps rotate the upper body, and the hips then push forward to carry the rest of the body onto the target surface. This creates a smooth, controlled slide across the board with less dependence on hand strength or distal gripping, which is particularly helpful after a C7 injury when arm and hand function may be limited. Angular momentum is a physics idea about rotation of the whole body and isn’t the named clinical strategy used here. Gravity-assisted substitution refers more to letting gravity do part of the work and using alternative body strategies, not specifically the coordinated head-hip timing described. Distal fixation means relying on the hands to fix onto the board or surface, which is the opposite of using a head-hip sequence to move without strong distal grasp.

Coordinating head movement with hip movement to drive a transfer relies on using proximal body segments to generate and control momentum. The head-hips relationship is about sequencing and timing: turning or nodding the head in the direction of transfer helps rotate the upper body, and the hips then push forward to carry the rest of the body onto the target surface. This creates a smooth, controlled slide across the board with less dependence on hand strength or distal gripping, which is particularly helpful after a C7 injury when arm and hand function may be limited.

Angular momentum is a physics idea about rotation of the whole body and isn’t the named clinical strategy used here. Gravity-assisted substitution refers more to letting gravity do part of the work and using alternative body strategies, not specifically the coordinated head-hip timing described. Distal fixation means relying on the hands to fix onto the board or surface, which is the opposite of using a head-hip sequence to move without strong distal grasp.