Tips for Sling Use
Living in a sling makes ordinary tasks unexpectedly difficult. These guides and strategies cover how to dress, sleep, bathe, and move safely while your shoulder heals.
The First Weeks in a Sling
Shoulder surgery is unusual in that the recovery limits the arm you use for nearly everything. Immobilization in a sling or brace protects the repair, but it also means dressing, showering, sleeping, and eating all have to be relearned for a period of weeks. Patients are often surprised by how much of early recovery is logistical rather than painful.
Activities of Daily Living
The principle behind all of these strategies is the same: the operative arm stays passive. Let gravity, your other hand, and the furniture around you do the work. Nothing below should require you to actively lift, reach behind your back, or rotate the shoulder outward unless our office has told you otherwise.
Video demonstrations
These videos, produced by HSS, walk through the movements patients ask about most in the first weeks. Each one plays here on the page — watching before your surgery date is the best way to prepare.
HSS Shoulder Replacement Resources
Please review the following HSS guides for shoulder replacement, which include a comprehensive overview of what the surgical experience will be like, precautions and positions after surgery, rehabilitation exercises, and tips for performing activities of daily living after surgery. These resources are customized specifically to right and left shoulder replacement.
Questions About Your Recovery?
Postoperative concerns are always welcome — call our office.
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