How to put on and take off clothes after neck surgery, i.e. cervical spine surgery
In this article, you will find recommendations for dressing after cervical spine surgery.
We will also recommend wearing comfortable, loose clothing that is easy to put on over a collar that will be needed to protect the neck and spine.
Wearing a bra that fastens in the front and a dress that can be pulled over the head also helps after spine surgery.
Also, the dressing aids helped, at least they did for me.
And there are detailed steps for putting on the top and bottom of the outfit.
As a rule, these recommendations refer to the first 2 months after your operation. Sometimes longer, depending on your condition and recovery after spine surgery.
Comfortable clothes are a big relief after spine surgery
It is recommended that you choose slightly more comfortable and lose clothing during recovery from surgery.
You will probably need to wear a collar after the operation, to protect your neck and spine, I recommend that you do not remove the collar when dressing.
I do not recommend hoodies because the hood will cause problems when lying down. Also, make sure that the opening for the head is a little bigger and as stretchy as possible so that the shirt can go over the head and collar as easily as possible.
For women, I recommend wearing a comfortable bra, preferably one that fastens on the front for easy removal and dressing.
Women can also wear a comfort gown by just pulling it over their head, this is probably the simplest and most painless dressing solution after surgery.
It can be very helpful if you have a long-handled picker or a dressing aid and a sock dressing aid. They helped me a lot.
If you don't have a front-detachable bra, a bra that fastens at the back, once you lower the straps, rotate it so the clasp is at the front. Avoid bending and rotating the spine.
To put on the upper part I recommend the following steps
- Sit on a chair or on the edge of the bed.
- Stretch the opening a little for the head to pass through the T-shirt
- Pull the shirt over your head so that you do not raise your arms above shoulder level.
- To put on, for example, the top part of a button-up tracksuit, use dressing aid or long-handled clips. It is important that you do not bend your spine when dressing and do not raise your arms above your shoulders. Put one hand through the sleeve and place the dressing aid on the opposite shoulder of the garment.
- Wrap the garment around you with the dressing aid and get dressed all the way.
If you have lower back pain and cannot put on the lower part of your clothes and socks, try one of the following methods.
For dressing the lower part, i.e. pants, pajamas or sweatpants, I recommend the following
- Sit on a chair or on the edge of the bed.
- Roll up the trouser leg with your hands to make a hole at the bottom of the trouser leg.
- Use the long-handled pickers to help you pull your leg through the trouser leg, and pull the pants up to your thigh, just above the knee. Try not to bend over.
- Repeat the same steps for the other leg.
After both legs are above your knees, stand up carefully, you can possibly spread your legs a little so that the pants don't slide down your legs, and pull the pants over your hips.
The same procedure is used for putting on underwear.
To put on socks, I recommend the following
- Sit on a chair or on the edge of the bed
- Using the sock donning aid, place the sock in the donning position (pull the sock on the aid as much as possible)
- Sit properly, keep your back straight
- Push the foot into the aid and put on the sock
- Repeat the same steps for the other foot.
If you don't have a dressing aid, you can improvise and make it yourself as follows:
Find two pickers or larger clothespins if possible, connect them with a thicker thread or rope 1.2-1.5m long.
Attach the clips or pickers to the front of the pants, left and right in the area where the elastic goes
Sit on the edge of the bed, keep the bed upright
Lower the trousers on the rope to the feet and slowly adjust the feet into the trousers using the rope. With the rope, pull the pants up to the height above the knees. After you can reach them, pull the legs up to your hips so that your feet go through the legs completely. After your feet have passed through the legs, carefully stand up and pull your pants all the way up.
If you do not have an aid for putting on socks, lie in bed on your back, bend one leg at a time at the knee and try to reach the foot and put on the sock. Repeat the same for the other leg.
If you are unable to reach and are in severe pain, ask someone to help you or try to get the aids listed above.