Guide

Hi-Low vs fixed-height treatment tables: which does your clinic need?

When a motorised hi-low treatment table earns its cost over a fixed-height one, how many sections you need, and what single, dual and triple motors change. From a manufacturer of both.

A treatment table is bought once and used several thousand times a year, so the right question is not "which is cheaper" but "which one still makes sense in year eight". Here is how to decide.

Fixed height: the honest default

A fixed-height table with a face hole does most of what most clinics do — manual therapy, electrotherapy, examination. It has no motor to fail and costs least. Its limit is the patient who cannot climb onto it and the therapist who spends the day working at a height that suits the table, not them.

Hi-Low: buy it for transfers and for your back

A hi-low table goes down for the patient to get on — from a wheelchair, with a hip replacement, with a weak leg — and up for the therapist to work without bending. If your caseload includes neurological, post-operative or elderly patients, or you will be treating for more than a few years, that adjustment is not a luxury; it is the thing that keeps a physiotherapist working at 55.

Sections: one, two or three?

• One section — a flat surface; simplest, most robust, least to go wrong.
• Two sections — a hinged head section changes what can be done: cervical work with the neck in neutral, supported semi-recumbent positions, prone with the face in the hole and the neck straight.
• Three sections — head, body and legs position independently; the most versatile surface for a department treating a wide caseload on one table.

Motors: single, dual, triple

The motor count tells you which movements are powered. A single motor raises and lowers the whole table; section angles are then set by hand. Dual and triple motors power section angles too — worth it where sections are adjusted many times a day or where the therapist works alone. For the XINIX range, Standard and Premium follow the controlled product name, so the code on your purchase order is the code on the crate.

Our recommendation for a new clinic

Open with fixed-height tables in the treatment bays and one hi-low in the bay nearest the door, for transfers. Add hi-low tables from revenue as the caseload proves the need. Quote it as one list — the treatment surfaces index has every variant with its code.

Questions about anything above: WhatsApp or info@xinixinnovations.com.