Recommendations for a (hopefully) Temporary Shower Chair

November 23, 2020 1:49 PM

I've been suffering from a bout of sciatica for six weeks. My right leg from buttock to toe goes from severe pain to numbness/weakness in a matter of seconds when I stand for more than a few minutes. Sitting down for brief breaks while showering would be enormously helpful, but there are so many options and I don't know what would work best - Back/no back? Arms? (more inside)

I live with my husband in a townhome which does not have grab bars in the bathroom (which is equipped with a standard-issue bathtub and shower - no shower "stall"). I have Lupus and Sjogren's Syndrome and sciatica is a not uncommon manifestation of one or both. My doctor simply told me "I don't prescribe opioids" when I explained my pain during a video appointment and said that sciatica "goes away on its own" eventually. I am able to, say, get up out of bed without arm support (although sometimes I quickly fall back down due to pain/weakness, but if I sit for a few I'm able to get back up, albeit painfully....I limp hunched over to make my way the bathroom), and I can get down and up from the commode without grab bars (even though it pains my right hip/leg).

So given my symptoms/limitations (and budget, since Medicaid won't cover it), what are features I should look for/consider in a shower stool or chair? Are the arms and back worth the extra expense? Right now I would love several sitting-down breaks while showering in the standard manner... right now I have to "take a break" every few minutes by bracing my arms against the back wall of the shower and hunching over for a few minutes. Would a backrest and arms would make getting up and down easier and safer in a wet/slippery environment? I'm able to step into and out of the bathtub without assistance, although as soon as I exit I lean forward and grasp the sink for pain relief. Any recommendations and personal experiences are welcome!

posted by Oriole Adams to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

For me personally, the height of the shower stool is more important than the presence of arms. Many shower chairs are too low to the ground for me to be able to stand from easily.

Personally I don't like arms or back because they get in the way when trying to wash, but that may not be an issue if you're only using the chair for breaks.

I have this stool, which is lightweight, but very slip resistant (both the seat and the feet on the ground).

Just be sure to measure the flat areas of your tub (where the chair would sit) to ensure that your chair will fit. They vary widely in size.
posted by hydra77 at 2:28 PM on November 23, 2020 [4 favorites]

My legs are paralyzed and so I use this shower chair, and I like it a lot. It seems to be out-of-stock currently. It fits in a standard apartment bathtub. Other shower chairs might be too big to fit. So, keep that in mind. Get the widest chair that will fit your tub.
Depending on the weight the chair has to bear, you might need a heavier duty chair. Whether a back or arms is helpful will very much depend on your specific situation. For me, I find that a back and arms severely limits my movements and hence my balance. So, I don't use either. Since you say that you can get in and out of the bathtub, I'd guess that you don't need the back and arms.

You might consider having grab bars installed to help getting up/down. Likely much better than trying to use the chair arms. Again, it really depends on your specific situation.

A plastic shower mat might help with traction if the shower is slippery. Keeping the mats clean and mould-free is a challenge, though.
posted by dorab at 2:32 PM on November 23, 2020

I have a shower chair with a back and find that the back gets in the way more than it helps me. I use a hand held shower head on a hose and the back makes it harder to get the shower head around my back. Using the hand held shower keeps me from having to stand at all. I too hang onto the sink when exiting.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 2:33 PM on November 23, 2020 [1 favorite]

Some towns have a medical supplies cupboard, your town might loan you a shower chair. Or post on freecycle.net asking for one. I see them offered online for free fairly often.
posted by theora55 at 3:01 PM on November 23, 2020 [5 favorites]

Some armless/backless seats are packaged with a separate wall handle. Maybe a pad would help, too. Here's an add-on grab bar a relative used with a non-medical plastic seat in a temporary situation. Agree with the above answers about measuring your bathtub, and looking (& asking) around your community -- some never-used or barely-used chairs wind up in storage.

(You have my sympathy, and your doctor has my hostility. There are treatments for sciatica, Medicaid covers shower chairs in certain situations, and I feel you should seek a second opinion. While sciatica is common in lupus and Sjogren's, if this is your first bout with it, get a firm diagnosis. If it's a chronic condition, your state has resources for getting assistive devices in your home.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:23 PM on November 23, 2020 [2 favorites]

Hi I'm working very regularly with a shower chair RIGHT NOW! I'm recovering from a broken knee and have to sit down. I also have had to take sit-down showers from when I had a broken foot.

I got my current shower chair via my neighborhood Buy Nothing group - I put out a request for one, and one member had one she wasn't using from when she was injured. It's a catch-as-catch-can option when you go that way, but I got what looks like a pretty standard cheap-and-cheerful one - it doesn't have a back or arms, but it has a pair of gaps on either side of the seat meant to grab onto. When I broke my foot, I had a folding stool that was slim enough to fit in the shower; that had a back but no arms. It was kind of like this, only with a back.

I think the folding chair would be better for you - although only just barely. I think the biggest obstacle to my being able to get up or down from the shower stool is simply that the shower stool I have is a little low to the ground; I have to pull my good foot back more under my seat so it's in my center of gravity. Standing up was a little easier from the folding chair, which was more of a "chair" height. ...Adding the disclaimer, though, that in both cases I also had difficulty standing because of a broken foot and a broken knee, which are tough to maneuver just anyway (I can't bend my right leg because of the injury, so my getting into and out of the shower is currently a two-person operation with my roommate helping me balance while I put my good foot into the shower, and then I brace against the wall for balance as he physically lifts my leg and swings it around so that it is resting on the toilet so that it can be sticking out of the shower when I'm sitting down....sigh).

So if you're just looking for something that can be a temporary respite, I'd maybe consider something that can be easily gotten into and then stowed away. The "chair-height" stool I got might be better - and it wasn't even a shower stool, it was just a folding stool with a narrower-than-usual seat. Also, a folding stool may be easier to find, cheaper, and may have uses outside of being "for the shower."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:26 PM on November 23, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have this one from BB&B. I like it because the adjustable height and the swivel seat which comes in handy. I have various issues that make it hard to stand up in the shower. I do also have grab bar and I think even though you are doing OK, it is really the safest way to get in and out of a tub shower if you are having any kind of mobility issues. Unless you are handy, I'd get it installed by a handy person who should find the studs and use longer screws to make sure it is really secure. Use one or two (side or front and side).
posted by agatha_magatha at 4:02 PM on November 23, 2020

I just cleaned out an aunt's home and was faced with all kinds of assistive devices, from shower chairs to hip seats to raise the toilet seat to crutches. I gave them to Goodwill. Pro tip - search online for Goodwill items. They seem to have realized that an online presence will sell much more of this kind of specialized item.
posted by citygirl at 4:53 PM on November 23, 2020 [1 favorite]

I don't have particular rec, but when my dad had to use a shower chair after back surgery, we installed one of those shower heads on a long handle, which made it much easier for him to bathe himself. You might also want to get one of those tall pole shower caddies with adjustable shelves so you can get your soap and shampoo at the right height.
posted by radioamy at 4:57 PM on November 23, 2020 [2 favorites]

Longtime sciatica sufferer here. I would strongly recommend that when you sit on your shower chair, you remain seated for the duration if you are comfortable doing so. Moving from standing to sitting and back can be a tricky proposition even without the potential for slipping.

I know only too well that in the midst of that kind of pain, it can be difficult to do anything beyond try to cope. But I have to agree with Iris Gambol that getting a second opinion might be well worth the effort, for exactly those reasons.
posted by gnomeloaf at 5:39 PM on November 23, 2020 [2 favorites]

I bought a bath board earlier this year when recovering from surgery and can’t recommend it highly enough if your shower is over the bathtub (as I gather yours is).
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:00 PM on November 23, 2020 [2 favorites]