Tips For Getting Yourself Ready In The Morning Following Back Surgery

If you are about to undergo or have recently had back surgery, you may be worried about how you are going to take care of yourself while you recover, especially when performing your personal care routine in the morning. If so, use the following tips to make getting yourself ready in the morning easier.

Attach a Riser Seat to Your Toilet

One of the very first things you usually have to do in the morning is going to the bathroom. When your back is healthy, you probably do not think too much about the mechanics of sitting down and the strain it can put on your back. 

However, after back surgery, the strain of going into the sitting position often causes extreme discomfort as well as making you unstable. Plus, since many toilets are lower than a chair, you also have extra pressure and strain from going below the typical sitting position.

To help keep this necessity of life from becoming a painful nightmare, attach a seat riser to your toilet. This riser lifts the surface up to a more comfortable position so that you do not have to go too far down. 

Also, since the days following back surgery can throw you off-balance, try to get a riser with attached arms that you can use to leverage yourself on and off the toilet. You can ask your occupational therapist to take measurements to help you find the ideal size for your frame.

Set Your Shower up for Easier Bathing

Another essential part of your morning personal care regimen is most likely showering. However, the pain you feel after back surgery can make standing in one place too long painful. The postop pain can also limit your ability to raise and move your arms as well as to bend over to wash your legs.

To help you maintain your personal hygiene without causing too much pain, set your shower up so that you can comfortably bathe. Have a portable shower chair put in your bathroom so you do not have to stand up.

Also, see about getting a handheld showerhead so that you can wash and rinse your body without bending too much. Some models come with a telescopic handle so that you can adjust the length for your size. You can also ask your therapist for their recommendations.

Using the tips above can help you go through your morning personal care routine while dealing with the pain and limitations after back surgery. For more information on making otherwise simple, routine tasks easier while you recover, speak with medical representatives from a hospital or clinic like Levi Hospital.

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