Getting dressed with Sciatica

Hopefully after my last blogs you have been sleeping better, getting up in a morning is easier, and that your pain has eased. So, as promised, here are my tips on getting dressed.
I found, when I had sciatica, one of the hardest thing to do by myself was getting dressed in the morning, especially putting my underwear, socks and shoes (tying laces) on. To help, there are three items worth investing in:-
- A litter picker/reacher. This is an excellent tool not only for helping you to get dressed but also for picking up all those things that we drop. These can be obtained online for between £10 and £15.
- A long handled shoe horn or spoon: – This is very helpful when used with the litter picker for putting your socks and shoes on.
- A pair of slip on shoes.
Underwear
Assuming you wear underwear (most of us do!) here are my tips for getting them on in the absence of a very understanding partner. Whilst sitting, take hold of one side of the item of clothing with the litter picker, in this case your underwear, place the long handled shoe horn (a long handled spoon is a good alternative) through the leg hole opposite to the side you are holding and pull the underwear open.
Now you should be able to put one foot after the other through the leg holes and pull your underwear up.
Socks
If you can go without then do so or if you have help then that’s great. But in the absence of help and needing to wear socks here is how I managed to get my socks on. Also applicable to tights but I have n’t tried! Putting socks on follows a very similar instruction to underwear, although I will admit it is more difficult.
Take hold of your sock with the litter picker, place the wide end of the long handled shoe horn/spoon in the sock and stretch open (note that I have the back of the spoon facing inwards, this is because there is less chance of the sock slipping off the spoon). Push your foot into the opening made and pull your sock on.
I am not saying that either of these operations are easy, but if you have to do them and you don’t have any help they are much easier and far less painful than having to bend down to put things on.
The slip on shoes speak for themselves!
Again, I hope this proves helpful to you, and in my next blog I will give tips on safe things you can do to help ease the pain.
Regards for now,
Ian
Thanks for the tips ! I feel that getting dressed with sciatica U should have privacy in the room where U R changing the cloths.In sitting position the inner cloth & socks can easily be put on without much pain .
Definitely agree with the privacy and thanks for sharing.