If you’re wearing a cast, brace, splint, or boot, taking care of it is just as important as following your doctor’s instructions. The right care helps your injury heal properly while keeping you comfortable along the way. Here are five essential tips to make cast life a little easier:
1. Keep It Dry
Moisture is your cast’s worst enemy. A wet cast can weaken, lose shape, and even cause skin irritation or infection. Always cover your cast before bathing or showering, and avoid swimming unless you have a waterproof cover.
2. Don’t Put Anything Inside Your Cast
Itchy skin under a cast is normal, but resist the urge to stick objects like pencils, hangers, or anything sharp inside to scratch. Doing so can damage your skin, increase the risk of infection, or even injure you further. Instead, try our CastCooler® Itchy Cast Reliever which keeps your cast fresh and reduces itch by removing moisture from the lining under your cast using an everyday vacuum cleaner!
3. Wiggle Your Toes or Fingers
If your cast is on an arm or leg, gently wiggling your fingers or toes can help improve circulation and reduce swelling. It’s a small movement that makes a big difference in keeping your blood flowing.
4. Protect Against the Elements
Casts and splints aren’t made for the outdoors. Sand, snow, dirt, or rain can sneak inside and cause irritation—or worse, damage the cast itself. Always use a cover before heading outside to protect it from the elements. We have many covers that help protect your cast from sand, snow, and rain.
5. Keep It Clean (and Scratch-Free!)
Casts, braces, and boots tend to catch on clothes, bedding, and furniture. They can also get dirty quickly. That’s where CastCoverz! comes in! Our stylish, Made-in-the-USA protective covers keep your cast clean, prevent snagging and scratching, and make wearing a cast a little more fun.
Taking care of your cast doesn’t have to be complicated. With these simple steps, and the right cover, you can stay clean, comfortable, and confident while your body heals. If you have any questions at all, our US-based customer service team is ready to help you choose the right products for you or your loved one’s injury.
Summer days are for making beach memories with our family and friends. If you’re wearing an orthopedic walking boot, you might be wondering how you will be comfortable, make the most of your beach trip, and enjoy the sun and sand without winding up hot, itchy, and with a lot of sand in that big boot, post-op shoe, “ Jesus Sandal”, fracture cast or walking cast or …. :).
There’s no need to cancel your beach holiday just because you, your friend, or a family member wears a boot. A few practical tips and one or two FUNctional accessories are all you need to have an enjoyable, comfortable trip to the seaside.
When it comes to keeping sand and other beach debris out of your boot, the solution is simple: Purchase a leg cast cover to cover your leg and toes from CastCoverz! then slide on your boot. Our Legz! products will keep most sand out of your toes. Legz! is a woven product so a little bit of sand could still wiggle through. If you have a leg cast, please read this article.
You can also purchase one of our Bootz! or BootGuardzXtreme! products. They are designed to cover orthopedic walking boots leaving the sole exposed for your safety (custom products are available for post-op shoes and “Jesus Sandals,” too). The Bootz! Is our daily wear product designed to cover the boot and to prevent velcro straps from catching and snagging everything–including blowing sand. Bootz! is available in solids and a variety of prints. Our Bootz! are designed to stretch around the perimeter of the edge of your boot leaving the sole exposed for your safety. PLEASE NOTE: Walking on “soft” sand tends to roll your foot. You are already compromised due to your injury and your gait is uneven due to the boot. Please be careful while in a boot. In addition, the sand could “push” against the side of the boot popping up your daily wear Bootz! so be sure to use and adhere the included repositionable adhesive strips that anchor it to the sides of your boot. FYI…“Hard-packed” sand doesn’t roll the foot.
Another option can be a simple item you can buy at the grocery store: Glad® Press‘n Seal®. To keep sand out of your toes while in a boot, wrap your leg with Press’n Seal and then put on your boot. If you have a shank to your boot (goes up your leg vs a post-op shoe / Jesus Sandal) you can cover it with a layer of Press ‘n Seal to prevent most sand from “sticking” to the velcro straps and padding. Note: depending on weather conditions and the length of time used this option is not necessarily reusable. CAUTION: FOR YOUR SAFETY never cover the sole/bottom of a boot with any product. Why? 2 reasons: #1 You could trip and re-injure yourself. #2 Material(s) is/are shredded when walked on. Think playing basketball in/on your driveway with only socks on. 🙂
WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT SWIM WITH AN ORTHOPEDIC BOOT. There are no waterproof products to seal a boot. And CastCoverz! wouldn’t sell them if they were available. Why? 3 very good reasons:
The waterproof product would have to stretch around the diagonal circumference of your heel over the top of your boot and then “shrink” to seal around your skin above the boot. No waterproof material has that capability.
FOR YOUR SAFETY: If something happened (a small tear/rip) it would fill with water and make this a drowning risk.
FOR YOUR SAFETY: Do not cover the bottom of the sole of your boot/sandal as it could be a tripping hazard. And the material(s) is/are shredded by a boot when walked on.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us at 1(800) CASTCOVER (1-800-227-8268) for assistance.
Your beach holiday should be about relaxing and enjoying time with your family and friends, not about stressing over how to keep a cast or walking boot dry and sand-free. CastCoverz! offers a huge range of FUNctional, for the orthopedic patient, cast or boot. Explore these and other products to make your trip to the beach as comfortable as possible.
Ahhhhh, you’re injured and the boredom is starting to creep in.
Being stuck in a cast and sidelined from your usual activities can be incredibly frustrating. Whether you’re recovering from a broken bone, surgery, or another injury, the days can feel long and repetitive—and your patience might be wearing thin.
You may find yourself hobbling around the house, searching for creative ways to stay mentally engaged while your body does the hard work of healing. You’re feeling cooped up, restless, and maybe even a little stir-crazy.
Sound familiar? It’s enough to make anyone irritable. You want to do something—anything—but your options feel so limited.
Hang in there, help is on the way! Here’s a list of activities to help keep your mind active and your spirits up while you rest and recover. These ideas can help distract you from the things you can’t do right now—and remind you of what you still can.
Binge-watch your favorite movies or a childhood TV series from start to finish
Play board games, start a puzzle, blow bubbles, or bust out the Play-Doh…why not?
Sort through old photos and make scrapbooks for your family and friends
Learn something new, like knitting, playing the piano, sofa juggling, or maybe even a new language
Create a free blog, share your experience AND your road to recovery in the midst of a pandemic
Start that bucket list; in fact, make a book with photos to help inspire you during this time (think about who you’ll want to share this experience with years from now!)
Research your next vacation; big or small, near or far…plan something fun
Color…who doesn’t love to color? It actually releases tension, too! For FUN coloring pictures, click HERE
Create a playlist. Add all your favorite songs and jam out while making it. Cheers you up and gives you something you can use forever!
Decorate your cast, boot, or crutch; family stuck at home might also enjoy sharing this project with you! Be sure to check out our 3 part blog series “How to Bling Your Boot, Cast, & Crutches“, too!
Here’s a bonus tip: Do something “old-fashioned”. Write thank you (and catch-up) notes to your friends and family!
We’d love to hear from our readers! Please leave your best family-friendly tips and ideas, below!
Now that the weather is cooling, don’t get caught with your walking boot “knee-deep” in the slush or snow. CastCoverz! BootGuardzXtreme! are weatherproof, water-repellant covers for your orthopedic walking boot, protecting your boot, boot liner, and toes from the rain, snow, and slush. Two years in the making, one year in the testing, BootGuardzXtreme! protects your orthopedic walking boot, boot liner, and toes from EXTREME wind, rain and snow with our made-in-the-USA weather-resistant material. Drawstring closure and tread (sole) of the boot are left exposed for proper footing and safety.
If you’re wearing a leg cast, slip on one of our Slickerz! before you go out in the storm. Think of it as a pull-on rain boot! Our full-foot, closed-toe design, and weatherproof fabric will keep your leg cast and toes clean and dry. Not for immersion in water. A drawstring cord gives an added measure of security from rain and snow going down your leg or cast.
