Showering and oral hygiene after spine surgery

06.12.2022.

The spine surgery went well. You are now slowly but surely returning to daily activities, and the recovery after spine surgery is also going according to plan. In the sea of questions that are only now appearing to you, there are also those related to showering.

Taught by personal experiences, I wrote this text to try to help you.

First of all, it is recommended not to bathe, but only to have a shower.

If your wound from the operation has not entirely healed, cover it with a plastic film that you will secure with plasters.

Your home will need small "refinishes" during recovery to minimize the chance of accidental injury. I wrote a blog post about preparing the home for recovery after spine surgery.

Do not sit on the bottom of the tub. Shower standing or sitting on a chair in the bathtub itself.

In order to reach anything during the shower, you need to rotate your torso.

You didn't pay attention to it before, but now it's very clear to you.

This is why you will use a long-handled grabber when showering after surgery. I have listed this and other useful products within the MySpine app, which I developed after my recovery from spine surgery in collaboration with doctors who care for spine surgery patients on a daily basis. Also, install an anti-slip mat in the bathtub - if you don't already have one.

If you shower in a classic tall tub, ask someone to help you get into the tub (at least the first few times after surgery). If you can, ask someone to put up grab bars to get into the tub.

Falling while showering is never harmless, especially after spinal surgery.

If you wear an orthosis, wear it when entering and exiting the bath, while you can remove it during the shower itself. The same goes for the collar.

It would be ideal if you had two orthotics or two collars to put on a dry orthosis or collar after showering.

We recommend using a brush with a long handle to wash your feet and back.

It is best to wash your hair in the shower, never lean over the sink to wash your hair.

Oral hygiene after lumbar spine surgery

When brushing your teeth, washing or shaving, do not lean forward. If you need to get down, use your knees, and don't bend your back.

After brushing your teeth, use a glass of water to rinse, do not bend down to take water and rinse your mouth.

We wish you a fast and successful recovery!

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