Tag Archives: orthotic boot

Keep Your Walking Boot, Toes, and Cast Warm and Dry This Winter

Helpful Products to Keep Your Cast or Boot Protected From The Elements (Updated for 2025)

In this Facebook Live: All Things Orthopedic, Annette de Lancey (Founder and Owner of CastCoverz!) discusses ways to protect your orthopedic device from the elements (cold weather, rain, wind, snow… ETC) with guest Dr. Scott Hoffinger, Medical Director of OrthoPediatrics, and Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. 

While having a cast may not be ideal, it will NOT prevent kids from trying to participate in normal activities. It is also not surprising that kids will find a way to get a cast wet, get it dirty and get involved.  The best thing to do is plan ahead. If your child is going to be doing things that could get their cast wet or dirty, there is a need to protect the cast. 

CastCoverz! has many products to keep casts and boots from getting wet from adverse weather conditions, shield from biting wind, and help them to stay dry. For arms we have CastCoverz! Mittz! Cozy and Mittz! Dry, which are designed for convenience as well as function and comfort. This product is weather-resistant but not meant for immersion, and paired together can provide superior protection from wet weather (rain, snow) and biting wind conditions.  

Slickerz! which is a similar product for your leg is also weather-resistant and is used to protect your cast and your toes. Our BootGuardzXtreme! is for the orthopedic walking boot. It protects your orthopedic walking boot, boot liner, and toes from wind, rain and snow with our made-in-the-USA weather resistant material.

Keeping your orthopedic device clean and dry can stop infection, and help your injury heal better, so you feel better!

How to Shovel Snow When Wearing A Boot, Cast, Brace, or While On Crutches

How to Shovel Snow When Wearing A Boot, Cast, Brace, or While On Crutches

Tip #1 DON’T DO IT!
Yep! Shoveling snow while you are not able to properly bear weight is just not a smart thing to do. Seriously! There’s no way to stand and properly balance yourself, or to turn and pivot correctly without ending flat on your face with the great risk of more injury.

Tip #2 Help the Local Economy and Hire Neighborhood Kids
Pay the kids in the neighborhood their going rate to shovel your yard and sidewalk. You’re keeping them out of trouble, they make a little change, and you get to stay snug in your warm home sipping hot apple cider. As an added bonus – you don’t end up having another injury.

Tip #3 Ask for Help
OK, so you may not want the neighborhood kids doing the job (maybe they’re charging a premium for their services!), but you need help. ASK FOR IT. Simple as that! Family, friends, members of your church or community groups. Use them. They can only help if you ask.

Just say no and back away from the shovel (or snow-blower)! As your non-medical broken bone expert and healing advocate, you must trust me on this!  I’ve dealt with a lot of broken bones (my daughter has had 12!) and heard horror stories from our customers who have made the mistake of thinking they could shovel snow while on crutches (try picturing it and the disastrous results). If you are using any kind of orthopedic device (boot, cast, brace, crutches, knee-walker) you are compromised, which means you must take extra care, and sometimes you just can’t do it all.  Shoveling snow is one of those situations.  Your boots, crutches, casts, knee-walkers are not built for traction in the snow.

So, when it comes to shoveling snow while injured, the answer to the question “How do I shovel snow when injured?” is, “Don’t!”

~Annette
Feel Better, Heal Better!

 

Why-an-Orthopedic-Walking-Boot-VS-a-Cast-For-Your-Healing-Journey

Why an Orthopedic Walking Boot VS a Cast For Your Healing Journey

In this Facebook Live: All Things Orthopedic, Annette de Lancey (Founder and Owner of CastCoverz!) speaks with Dr. Scott Hoffinger, Medical Director of OrthoPediatrics, and Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon, about why orthopedic walking boots are prescribed! 

Not all broken bones, sprains or soft tissue injuries require a cast; sometimes an orthopedic walking boot is the best and most comfortable option for a patient as they heal. 

Why are so many orthopedic walking boots prescribed now?

When you have a broken bone in your foot, you need a firm base to step on, but casts are not always necessary (24/7 support), this is where an orthopedic walking boot can be helpful. Boots are also good for sprains and soft tissue injuries. 

Orthopedic walking boots can be beneficial but wear them with caution, if you are supposed to wear them all the time when you are standing up, comply with that. They can be just as effective as casts, but they can be taken off for sleeping and showers. 

Check out some of our orthopedic walking boot accessories like Bootz! and Sleeping Bagz! to provide fashion and comfort during your healing journey. 

Leave your family-friendly comments below, and be sure to join us for our next All Things Ortho event!

Cooking While Injured

Cooking While Injured

 

You’re injured, possibly recovering from surgery, and your only job now is to rest and recover.  Your days are filled with elevating your leg, propping up your arm on pillows, staying on top of your pain medications, having friends and family wait on you, etc.  Then life calls you back to reality.  One of the most pressing get-back-to-life activities is to cook for you and/or your family.  But there are challenges to cooking and baking while recovering from an orthopedic event.  I’ve assembled 15 helpful tips about cooking while wearing a boot, cast, sling or being on crutches. Sift through all the tips to help you with your condition. Hint: my most important tip is the last one and applies to everyone.  Read on kitchen warrior… Continue reading