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Date issued: December 2022

Review date: December 2024

Ref: A-548/NB/ED/How to Look After Your Plaster: Lower Limb

PDF:  How to Look After Your Plaster Lower Limb final December 2022.pdf [pdf] 113KB

How long will my plaster take to dry?

Plaster of Paris type plasters will take 2-3 days to dry out

Do not:

•  Remove or interfere with your cast.

• Put anything down or inside the cast.

• Get the cast wet or heat it at any time.

• Ignore a “problem with your cast” hoping it will go away.       

Do:

• Keep your affected limb elevated over your heart level to reduce swelling.

• Exercise joints that are not immobilised by the cast.

• Keep the pressure off bony areas such as heel and elbow.                               

Very Important

If your foot is incorporated within the Plaster, rest the leg on a pillow with the heel off the pillow.

If you are wearing a cylinder type cast (when the foot is free), you support the heel to reduce the pressure on the ankle.

Go to your nearest Emergency Department (ED) if you experience any of the following:

• Calf tightness or calf pain.

• Excessive swelling.

• Excessive pain, pins & needles, numbness or poor circulation in the limb.

• A discharge or foul smell from your cast or wound.

• If your cast becomes tight, loose, cracked or breaks.

Do I need to take pain relief?

• Paracetamol is useful to ease pain. It is best to take it regularly for a few days or so, rather than every now and then. An adult dose is two 500 mg tablets, four times a day. A doctor may prescribe additional painkillers such as codeine if the pain is more severe. If you are prescribed a combination of paracetamol and codeine (e.g.  cocodamol or codydramol) then it is important not to take additional paracetamol as you will accidentally overdose.

• Anti-inflammatory medication can be used with paracetamol or as an alternative. There are many types and brands. They relieve pain and reduce inflammation and swelling (often the cause of the pain). You can buy ibuprofen at pharmacies or supermarkets without a prescription. The dose varies depending on your age and other medical problems. Side-effects sometimes occur with antiinflammatory painkillers. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice regarding them.

If you would like to be seen again because of the following problems:

• Your plaster has become loose

• Your plaster has become wet or damaged

then please phone 01752 439745 and we may book you an appointment to return, normally the next morning.

Venous Thrombo Embolism (VTE)

VTE is more commonly known as a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), or clots in the leg.

The Doctor or Practitioner who saw you will have discussed this with you and filled in a form outlining the risk of you getting a clot.

What are the signs I may have a clot?

In some cases of a DVT there may no symptoms, but you may have:

• Pain, swelling and tenderness in one of your legs (usually your calf)

• A heavy ache in the affected area

• Warm skin in the area of the clot.

DVT usually affects one leg, but this is not always the case. The pain may be made worse by bending your foot upwards towards your knee.

If a DVT is not treated, a pulmonary embolism (PE) (a blood clot that has broken away from its original site and can become lodged in one of your lungs) may occur.

If you have a PE, you may experience more serious symptoms, such as:

• Breathlessness, which may come on gradually or suddenly

• Chest pain, which may become worse when you breathe in

• Collapsing suddenly.

Both DVT and PE are serious conditions that require urgent investigation and treatment.

If you are planning a long-distance flight within 6 weeks of coming out of your cast you may have an increased risk of developing a DVT, please discuss this with the Doctor in the Fracture Clinic before you travel.