How to Get Dressed With One Arm: A Step-by-Step Guide

Young man in a wheelchair wearing a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt with an arm sling and neck brace

By Nicky, Founder of Happy Cloud Adaptive

Getting dressed is something most of us never think twice about, until an injury, surgery or limited arm movement gets in the way. If you are recovering from shoulder surgery, wearing a sling or dealing with a broken collarbone, even a basic T-shirt can be frustrating.

This guide walks through a one-arm dressing method, and shows how clothing that opens can mean less reaching, pulling and overhead movement.

Quick answer: how to put on a shirt with one arm

  1. Open the shirt completely before you start. On a Happy Cloud adaptive tee, open the snaps.
  2. Put the arm with limited movement into its sleeve first.
  3. Use your stronger arm to bring the shirt around your back.
  4. Put your stronger arm into the other sleeve.
  5. Fasten the closures.
  6. If you wear a sling, put it back in place after the shirt is on.

Always stay within the movement limits your surgeon or therapist gave you.

Why is it hard to get dressed with one arm?

After an injury or surgery, you may be told to limit lifting, reaching or rotating the affected shoulder. That makes everyday clothing much harder to put on and take off. People use one-arm dressing methods after:

  • Shoulder surgery
  • Rotator cuff repair
  • Shoulder replacement
  • A broken shoulder or collarbone
  • A shoulder dislocation
  • Wearing a sling or immobilizer
  • Stroke
  • Other situations with limited arm movement

A traditional T-shirt means reaching overhead and moving both arms through the sleeves. Dressing one arm at a time, in a set order, keeps those movements to a minimum.

Before you start

  • Sit somewhere stable, such as a chair or the edge of a bed.
  • Lay your clothes out where you can reach them without stretching.
  • Check the movement limits your surgeon, physical therapist or occupational therapist gave you.
  • If a caregiver is helping, agree on the order first.

How to put a shirt on with one arm

Step 1: Open the shirt before dressing

Caregiver in navy scrubs helping a seated young man in a wheelchair with an open tie-dye adaptive T-shirt

If you are using a Happy Cloud adaptive T-shirt, open the snaps first. The shirt can then be placed around your body instead of pulled over your head. Lay it across your lap or beside you, and make sure the sleeve for the affected arm is within reach.

Step 2: Put the affected arm into the sleeve first

Caregiver and a seated young man in a wheelchair with a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt being put on one sleeve at a time

Start with the arm that has limited movement. Use your stronger arm to guide it into the sleeve, without forcing it or lifting it past the limits your healthcare team gave you. Let the fabric move around the arm instead of pushing the arm through the fabric. A caregiver can guide the sleeve and support the arm.

Step 3: Bring the shirt around your back

Caregiver bringing the back of a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt around a seated young man in a wheelchair

With the affected arm in its sleeve, use your stronger arm to bring the rest of the shirt around your back. Because the shirt is already open, you do not have to pull it over your head or push the affected arm through a tight neck opening. Move the clothing around your body instead of moving the arm more than you need to.

Step 4: Put your stronger arm into the other sleeve

Seated young man in a wheelchair and neck brace putting on the second sleeve of a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt while a caregiver stands behind him

Once the shirt sits around your back, use your stronger arm for the remaining sleeve. Take your time and adjust the fabric until the shirt sits comfortably around your shoulders and body. A caregiver can hold the shirt in place while you do this.

Step 5: Fasten the closures

Caregiver fastening the shoulder snaps on a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt worn by a seated person

Fasten the snaps to close the shirt around the shoulders and body. Then check that:

  • The shirt is sitting comfortably.
  • The closures are fully fastened.
  • No fabric is bunching around the affected shoulder.
  • Nothing is pulling on the injured arm.

Step 6: Put your sling back on

Young man seated in a wheelchair wearing a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt and an arm sling, with a caregiver beside him

If you wear a sling or immobilizer, put it back in place after the shirt is fully on. Check that the sling sits the way your healthcare team showed you and that the shirt is not bunching underneath it.

How to take a shirt off with one arm

Young man in a wheelchair with a tie-dye adaptive T-shirt open at the shoulders while a caregiver stands behind him

Taking the shirt off works in reverse:

  1. Open the closures.
  2. Take your stronger arm out of its sleeve first.
  3. Bring the shirt around your back toward the affected side.
  4. Slide the sleeve off the affected arm last, without forcing the shoulder or arm.

If your surgeon gave you other instructions, follow those.

Tips for caregivers

Clothing that opens around the body means less pulling and lifting for the person helping. When you help someone dress:

  • Let the person do as much as they comfortably can on their own.
  • Guide the affected arm into the sleeve first.
  • Move the clothing around the body instead of moving the arm.
  • Keep the person seated somewhere stable.
  • Follow any movement limits from their healthcare team.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Pulling a tight shirt over your head when you have been told to limit that movement.
  • Lifting or rotating the affected arm beyond your healthcare team’s instructions.
  • Rushing.
  • Forcing the arm through a sleeve if something feels stuck. Stop and ask your care team.
  • Ignoring the movement limits you were given after surgery or injury.

Clothes that make one-arm dressing simpler

Loose, front-opening tops work best. Happy Cloud adaptive T-shirts snap open at both shoulders and along the sides, and they separate into two pieces, so there is no overhead pull. Not sure which size to order? See the T-shirt size guide and the how to use page.

For a wider look at what to wear, read What to Wear After Shoulder Surgery. If you also have an IV in that arm, see What to Wear to Chemo or an Infusion Appointment, and for coverage over an IV site, What Is an IV Cover?.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a shirt on with one arm?

Yes. Dress the affected arm first, bring the shirt around your back, then put in your stronger arm. A shirt that opens makes this need less movement.

Which arm goes into the sleeve first?

The affected arm, when your healthcare team allows it.

What type of shirt works best after shoulder surgery?

Loose tops that open, such as a button-up or an adaptive T-shirt with shoulder snaps, so you do not have to reach overhead.

Do I need to take my sling off to get dressed?

Only if your surgeon says so. Follow their instructions about removing or repositioning the sling.

Are shoulder snap shirts only for surgery?

No. People also use them with broken collarbones, rotator cuff injuries, stroke, shoulder replacements, arthritis and any limited arm movement.

Can caregivers use adaptive shirts?

Yes. A shirt that opens around the body means less lifting and pulling for the person helping.

Shop snap-open adaptive T-shirts

Happy Cloud adaptive tees look like everyday T-shirts and open at the shoulders, sides and chest.

Browse all Happy Cloud T-shirts.

Free U.S. shipping on orders of $50 or more (excludes Alaska, Hawaii and territories). Otherwise standard shipping is $5.99, or $12.99 to Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories.

0 comments

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.