The title of this column may make you think I am going to talk about political policy. By the time this column is physically printed, we have just completed the summer meetings of the Idaho Republican Party in Pocatello. But I am not going to opine about any of the debates or outcomes at this time. Instead, this articulation is about body parts, specifically arms and legs. These thoughts I share are just another example of how my admittedly strange mind wanders and strays when I cannot find sleep.
I have long wondered about unilateral extremity dominance when it comes to how we get dressed in the morning or undressed at night. Dwindling skills of standing balance and flexibility cause me to now do the donning and doffing of clothing from a seated position. It isn’t just about fall risk but has a secondary benefit of energy conservation. Performance of what we in the therapy world refer to as an ADL (Activity of Daily Living) is much safer with my butt on the edge of the bed or chair versus standing. It is comical to watch me try to balance on one leg like a flamingo and stab one foot into a shoe or shove a leg into and through the leg of my pants. I love those slip-on Skechers with the built in shoehorn in the heel. I have experienced some level of success by not tumbling onto the bed while completing that final step of morning dressing. This is so frustrating for a guy like me who, according to my son Christopher, “used to be an athlete!”
Here is my question: Which sock, shoe or pant leg do you put on first? Left or right? I conducted research of an apocryphal statistical nature by asking this question to friends and colleagues. I garnered a variety of answers along with a quizzical look that is proof they think I am off my rocker for asking such a question.
There are devices for assisting us old folks in dressing skills, especially the lower extremities. Accessories such as sock aides, long handled shoe horns and extendable grabbers can be very useful. If you can’t reach your feet to apply lotion, try putting a washcloth or sponge between the pincers of the grabber. Then squeeze a dollop of lotion to the cloth or sponge and extend it toward your foot and rub away…puzzle solved. The sock aid device is a whole ‘nother animal. I find it more difficult to use than simply bending over the old fashioned way. Thankfully, I still have adequate hip range of motion to lift one foot up onto the opposite knee rather than bending down from the waist. If you want more information on these devices, I can happily write an order for Matt, our occupational therapist, to come make a home visit in his big black shiny Cadillac. Don’t worry, Medicare will cover it, if your physician signs the request.
As I compile the data gathered from my inquiries, I am seeing a trend that relates to hand dominance. It seems that those of us who are right handed, put on our left sock first by the act of lifting the left ankle up onto our right knee for easy access. But in contrast, when us righties move to the pants and shoes, we choose to clothe the right side first. Go figure? My sample size is quite small and biased at this point. I can’t seem to find many left handed humans to ask these important questions. I have thought about using SurveyMonkey or some other online app, but the scientific invalidity of such methods dissuades me.
I am contemplating designing and conducting a more longitudinal study involving just myself as the subject. I picture making a chart to log the sequence of which foot and leg goes first in my morning dressing ritual. Then after 30 days, perform a comparative analysis in regards to the efficiency or productivity of my day with correlation to which foot received the initiatory act of sock application. It is similar to the idea that making our bed as soon as we exit slumber positions will make your day go better. I have tested that hypothesis after hearing the viral speech by the retired United States Navy four-star admiral, William Harry McRaven. He speaks in an expert manner about the importance of making your bed every morning. If you have not heard or watched that YouTube video, I highly recommend you do. My personal experience has been that I did indeed have a more productive and positive thought filled day when I made my bed. In addition, the bed seemed to be more welcoming when I crawled back into it several hours later.
If I follow through with this experiment, I’ll publish the results at a later date. In the meantime, let's all put our best foot forward. Regardless of whether it is the left or right, in our efforts to make each day fruitful. The experiment I described will also give me the chance to closely review my sock inventory and get rid of those pesky pairs that won’t stay up! (Remember my pet peeves?) Coincidently, I just tossed out a couple pairs earlier this week after suffering through the day, tugging and pulling on them every few minutes. What a pity… they were still in good condition.