Can you walk on a walking cast?
Follow your Doctor’s Directions Dartmouth-Hitchcock warns patients that they should never walk on a cast until it is completely dry. For a fiberglass cast, patients can expect to wait about an hour. For a plaster cast, patients should wait about three days before walking on it at all.
What is the difference between a walking boot and a cast?
Removable – the walking boot can be removed for showers or baths. Less skin damage – skin underneath a cast can become raw and painful. The open-air design and lightweight material helps to prevent skin damage when wearing a walking boot. No loud saws used – walking boots can be removed without the use of loud saws.
How long do you wear a walking boot after a cast?
Orthopedic boots protect broken bones and other injuries of the lower leg, ankle, or foot. They prevent more damage and help the area heal. Your doctor may have you use a boot for 1 to 6 weeks.
Should I wiggle my toes in a cast?
Try to keep the area around the edge of the cast clean and moisturized. Wiggle your fingers or toes while wearing a cast or splint. This helps with circulation. You can apply ice for 15 to 30 minutes over a cast or splint.
Can wearing a walking boot cause pain?
A study published in the Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons titled Associated Joint Pain With Controlled Ankle Movement Walker Boot Wear showed that many patients experienced pain in the knee, hip, and/or back from the added weight and limb length discrepancy from the CAM boot.
Can I drive with a walking boot?
It is not safe. Driving while wearing a cast or boot may lead to accidents because you are more prone to being distracted, and your reflexes are slower.
When is a walking boot needed?
Doctors recommend you wear them as a way of speeding the healing process. A walking boot protects the foot and ankle and is common when someone has broken their leg or foot, is struggling from shin splints or a severe sprain, or has suffered some other type of foot or leg injury.
What does it mean to have a walking cast?
A walking cast, also commonly known as a walking boot, works to immobilize the movement of the ankle when walking. It is commonly used to resolve a variety of lower leg and foot injuries or conditions.
How does ankle immobilization affect your walking mechanics?
You’ll get there for sure, but having your ankle immobilized will completely alter your walking mechanics by modifying motion through the knee, hip and pelvis. It’s not uncommon to see a patient who has a boot on their foot hyper-extend their knee.
How does a walking cast help heal an injury?
By immobilizing the foot, ankle, calf, or all three, a walking cast prevents injured components from moving and keeps them securely in place for more effective healing. This allows injuries to heal even while you remain on the move, making the walking cast a great solution for post-surgical recovery as well.
Where does a low top walking cast cover?
Most low-top walking casts cover from the toes to the lower calf just above the ankle. This design makes these casts particularly useful in treating injuries or conditions that impact the foot, heel, or lower ankle.