Hi - I am now coming into 4th week of aircast boot after plaster cast for orif surgery.
I am finding the boot uncomfortable and digs in - find i am more comfortable out of the boot at home - but very cautious as only partial weight bearing!
As ankle is still swollen - i find the boot digs in and when I take off when sitting down am left with quite a lot of uncomfortable in-dents in various places that take a long while to go down.
Anyone experience this and any advice pls.
Thanks katy
Hi KT,
If you've had x-rays showing that your bones have knit together I don't think you'd have any worries taking the boot off for most of the time. ( My ankle was broken in 3 places and I have 2 plates and screws.) my Dr encouraged moving /flexing the ankle at that time and I only wore the boot if leaving the house. But give your Dr a call to find out about weight bearing- he'll have to give you the okay there! Good luck and let that leg breath again! 😉
Ps. I have also found Solomon's seal and comfrey cream very helpful in the healing process. (Google them)
Thank you for yr reply. Hospital have discharged me other than physio now so guessing all good in the healing department! Think will do the same - boot off at home unless out and about!!! Thanku
Hi
bones typically take 6 weeks to heal, so check with your Dr. I bought sheepskin insoles that were super comfortable. Wishing you well 👣
Sheepskin insoles sound wonderful! Will have to find some of those! Thanks for the tip!
Most medical or drug stores carry them......keeping our feet happy.....👣take good care...
I am also in the air cast boot 4 weeks now It is extremely heavy and uncomfortable and painful . since my ankle surgery I've lost all muscle mass in my calf . not sure if thats normal at all . and I'm still having trouble moving my ankle forward and backward
I'd say totally normal, each is different but in best case your on target. Once you start PT they'll give you leg strength exercises. I took my boot off each day from 2 weeks just to gently massage my calf. Check first, just my situation to relax my leg. Wishing you well 👣
Thanks for all yr replies -will see how it goes at physio on tues!! Cant believe is such a long process - cant wait to get back to driving - kids have so many clubs after school - am gonna owe so many people favours haha xxx
Hi I have been taking a course of Nelson's arnica it's bought out my bruising and swelling great each day is better it's great in the morning as my foot is always up even in bed 30c the size of the dose Google it its highly recommend it's definitely helped me good luck x
Thanku I will try that x
At my last visit 3 weeks ago he told me to slowly start weight bearing at 25% the first week 50% the second and 75% the third and 100% the forth week I'm just up to 65% weight bearing and that's a stretch for me i don't know if i walking on it right with the crutches at all in the first place. I'm back at work now i sit at a desk all day by the time i get home and take off my boot my ankle is HUGE !!! I take a shower sitting down when I get out i try to move my foot forward and backwards with the resistance band it's still not moving much. And my skin on my ankle and foot is still so dry and flaky it is unbelievable! My sterile strips from the stitches are still in my ankle on both sides they said they would come off by themselves but none have came off yet and my surgery was on 3/4/16. Hopefully when i go back to see the Dr in a week i start physical therapy
Try a warm bath. Mine came off the first or second day while soaking in a bath and rubbing a little soap on the steri-strips. These boots are heavy that's for sure!
I ditched my boot after a week as I found it heavy and unwieldy and the Velcro fastenings very difficult to use. Never looked back. Wore supportive shoes and used walking frame and lots of rest and elevation for about 2 weeks until able to manage without walking aids. You can always go back to it if you feel the need but I never did. As your ankle mends the swelling will be less severe and less frequent. it's nature's way of telling you when you have over done walking. Best wishes for your recovery.
Erica- I am right with you Erica. I found going from NWB to 75% much easier than the last 25% of going from 75-100% (which I haven't accomplished yet). I wonder what other people's experiences have been. I did up to 75% in less two weeks and have spent a week and a half at 75% without moving forward at all really (was able to go to one crutch, but it's pretty awkward walking for the body, so I prefer two crutches), but that last 25% just isn't coming yet. I think it may take a bit more time. Curious about it too. Boy, this whips your butt, doesn't it! Physically exhausting and the more you do, the more pain you feel at night. The pain is par for the course I think from reading posts and talking to Ron who is also going through it now too. I am looking forward to starting PT, and hope my doctor tells me today I can start that, as I have an appt. this afternoon. I think maybe that will help us move forward! Keep letting us know how you are doing with it and anything that helps to get you over the hump.
Are you trying to move your foot forward and backward yet with the resistance band ? If so how is that working for you.... I don't feel like my ankle moves at all and I've been at it a month
I just ordered one and it got delivered yesterday. I hear we start with the yellow one, with least resistance. I just did a little flexing with it on my foot last night for starters. I am going to try it out more today and will let you know. I hope to get the okay to start with a PT today, at my doctor's appt, as I know I am ready. Until then, I have to look online to see how to work these things and see about the beginning exercises. I'm sure it probably goes slowly...the important thing is to be moving it, if you can, I think. It's probably a bit frozen from not being used. Btw, re. the muscle loss, I lost about a third of the muscle on my calf, but I hear it will come back. Weird to look at though! I don't like it one bit.
Thank you so much for posting I have researched over and over trying to get to the bottom of what is going on. I am six weeks since the injury was in a splint for one week due to swelling been and I fiberglass cast for five weeks it was removed Friday. After they x-rayed the surgeon came in mashed easy on both sides of my ankle and said that sore is in it and I said yes. I am now in the air cast will be in at 6 to 8 weeks. I have made some progress . I've still got a Long road ahead of me. I was literally in tears last night after having the Aircast on all day yesterday it was so swollen on both sides of the ankle and on the top of my foot when I lay down I had severe sharp pains shooting on the top of my foot . after having the cat Aircast on for 10 or 15 minutes it immediately if I am trying to walk even with crutches not a really applying wait to that foot the pain is unbearable it feels like it is just squeeze in the bone are rubbing it wrong . does anyone have any suggestions? by the way sorry I forgot to mention I bro the distal fibula bone really not sure what I was going to damage is done. I was hurting and my knee for the last two week notice last Wednesday I had a cyst behind the knee the surgeon said he thinks it is a Baker's cyst. any suggestions is that from my injury or why did this just start thank you so much
I know this is an old post but I wanted to share my experience and what helped me. I broke my ankle on both sides and after two soft cast (cutting second one off due to caustrophia) the dr put me in the air boot so I can open it up for gen I need air. I too had swelling and the boot was rubbing and hurting on both sides. I was able to remove the black padding that is stuck with double sided tape just inside where the ankle rest. That gave me enough space to be comfortable and the ankle didn't rub. I also started wearing just the liner of the boot firmly wrapped around my foot At 6 weeks just to bed to secure my foot I case I bumped it. Hope this advice helps!
My boot is so uncomfortable.my foot is red when I take it off .I got boot cast socks to guard it a bit but not really helping