Aids to help with dressing

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PatBrown
PatBrown Member Posts: 2
edited 9:56AM in Living with arthritis

I've recently been told I have advanced osteoarthritis in both shoulders (which I suspected but has been confirmed by x-ray). I also have partially ruptured biceps tendons in both arms so am in constant pain despite codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen gel.

This means I can't even dress/undress myself any more as I have no movement above shoulder height, behind my back or weight bearing.I've been looking for "dressing aids" but they all seem to need you to have one "good" arm, and I don't! Has anyone got any tips as to how to put on a coat or bra (even front fastening ones need you to be able reach round the back!). I'm at my wits end, feeling the only thing I can get into is a bell-tent sized poncho!!!!

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  • Trish9556
    Trish9556 Member Posts: 913
    edited 4. Aug 2025, 02:24

    Hi @PatBrown

    I have had subacromial decompressions on both shoulders, a trapeziectomy on my left hand and will be having hand/wrist surgery on the same hand later this year so I sympathise.

    The easiest option is to go bra less if you can. A vest will help your modesty and easy to get on. Alternatively there are some good crop top type ones that can either go over the head or pull up from the bottom, both using your good hand. If you put your bad arm in anything first, including front fastening bras, they're easy to put on with a bit if jiggling.

    Tops with zips, shirts cardigans etc all manageable. Bad arm down sleeves first, then head, then good arm. Think of dressing a squirming baby!

    Pull up skirts leggings and trousers are easy, cargo pants perfect as they're baggy with lots of pockets.

    A long handled shoe horn for the obvious but also works with socks skirts and trousers if it has a hook at the top end. Put them on sitting down and pull up as far as you can before standing for the rest.

    Elastic shoe laces in your trainers will mean you never have to struggle with doing those up.

    There are various dressing aids available and if you get them from the online selling shops they're easy to try and return if you don't get on with them.

    I do appreciate you have two bad shoulders try either your worst shoulder first when putting arms in or put both arms in the sleeves before putting the head in for a jumper or t shirt and grabbing with the shoe horn or similar to pull down.

    Good luck

    Trish

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,496

    Hi @PatBrown I am so sorry to hear you are struggling with dressing because of your shoulders. I know the feeling having struggled with one (and to a lesser extent the other) for well over a year and a half now nowhere near as bad as you but I can relate. I also had my daughter with me at 18 when she had her shoulder replaced.

    As usual @Trish9556 has given you some great tips. I was wondering how finances are for you for instance can you afford to get some help from a seamstress to customise some of your clothing perhaps with velcro? My daughter was lucky as she was tiny so easily got away with bralets and had me to help too. I know I wouldn't fancy going without. Oversized clothes are also very useful as Trish says elastic waists.

    The other thing I wondered was whether surgery is an option for you? My daughter (I know she was very young so that must help) has recovered so well very rarely having pain at all.

    Wishing you all the best

    Toni x

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