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If you feel tightness, pain, tingling, numbness, or you can’t move your toes/fingers, or if there is swelling, elevate your leg/arm on a pillow for one hour. If you don’t feel better, call your doctor. A cast that is too tight could cut off the blood supply or damage nerves.
How do you make a cast less tight?
Wiggle your fingers or toes on the injured arm or leg, and do it often. This also can prevent stiffness. Chill the cast from the outside with a plastic bag of ice, or an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel. Keep the ice on the cast at the site of the injury for 15-30 minutes.
How long does it take a cast to loosen?
Going back to full contact sports may take 8 to 12 weeks or more. It’s all about when the doctor decides a bone is fully healed and is strong enough for the demands of a particular sport.
How do you fix an uncomfortable cast?
Swelling can cause your child’s cast to feel tight and uncomfortable. To reduce swelling: Elevate the affected area. For the first 24 to 72 hours after your child’s cast is applied, use pillows to raise the cast above the level of your child’s heart.
How do you release pressure from a cast?
Keep moving: Carefully and frequently moving your uninjured toes or fingers on your injured leg or arm frequently can reduce stiffness. 3. Ice it: Applying ice with a dry ziplock bag over your cast while your limb is elevated can also help with swelling.
Should a cast feel tight?
Proper Cast Fit Your cast should feel very snug, maybe even tight, for the first few days after your injury. This is normal. A cast is meant to help your injury heal by protecting it from movement. Feeling a reasonable amount of tightness means the cast is doing its’ job!Jul 2, 2019.
Can bones move in a cast?
A cast, which keeps a bone from moving so it can heal, is essentially a big bandage that has two layers — a soft cotton layer that rests against the skin and a hard outer layer that prevents the broken bone from moving.
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.
Will my cast loosen up?
If a plaster of Paris cast becomes wet, then it can soften and fall apart, no longer providing rigid support to your broken bone.
Does a hairline fracture need a cast?
Treatment for a hairline fracture looks different than that of a more severe fracture. You likely won’t need a cast, but the doctor may recommend that you wear a brace to keep your arm immobile. You should also rest your arm and use ice to control the pain.
Is there an alternative to a cast?
What Are Alternatives to Casts? More and more, we’re seeing removable splints and walking boots as an alternative to casts–or used before or after a cast is put in place. While these options aren’t a solution for all fractures, they work well for some patients and injuries.
How often should a cast be changed?
Plaster casts are made up of a bandage and a hard covering, usually plaster of paris. They allow broken bones in the arm or leg to heal by holding them in place, and usually need to stay on for between 4 and 12 weeks.
Should a broken bone hurt in a cast?
Almost all broken bones and torn ligaments cause pain. The cast should relieve some pain by limiting your movements. Usually your pain will be less severe each day. If you were given pain medication to use, follow the directions on the package.
Can I take my cast off myself?
Avoid trimming the cast yourself. Contact your provider and ask to have your cast trimmed. Your provider will be able to inspect your cast to make sure it is still giving you the support you need. Don’t take your cast off.
Why does my cast feel tight at night?
Swelling due to your injury may cause pressure in your splint of cast for the first 48 – 72 hours. This may cause your injured arm or leg to feel snug or tight in the splint or cast.
Is a splint better than a cast?
Splints, also known as half-casts, provide less support than casts, but are faster and easier to use. They also can be tightened or loosened easily if the swelling in the arm or leg increases or decreases.
What’s the worst bone to break?
Here’s a look at some of the bones that hurt the most to break: 1) Femur. The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the body. 2) Tailbone. You could probably imagine that this injury is highly painful. 3) Ribs. Breaking your ribs can be terribly distressing and quite painful. 4) Clavicle.
Can a bone heal without a cast?
Technically speaking, the answer to the question “can broken bones heal without a cast?” is yes. Assuming conditions are just right, a broken bone can heal without a cast. However, (and very importantly) it doesn’t work in all cases. Likewise, a broken bone left to heal without a cast may heal improperly.
What happens if you leave a cast on for years?
Prolonged cast immobilization is extremely rare and occurs in non compliant patients. This case demonstrates muscle atrophy which was anticipated. The stiffness of the ankle joint was not marked. Skin changes were minor with no substantial areas of ulceration or stasis dermatitis.
Why do my toes turn purple in my cast?
Discoloration: This can be a sign of diminished blood flow to fingers or toes (apart from bruising that can occur) due to pressure in the cast.
