Casting Services
Whenever you break a bone, there’s a good chance you’ll need to have the affected body part put into a cast. The cast is designed to protect the broken bone and keep it in alignment while it heals. Occasionally you’ll need surgery for very bad breaks, and this will mean that a cast will be put on in surgery and not removed for at least 2 weeks. Casts can be put on all different body parts and range in size and shape depending on where the break is.
At Glebe Physio, we have a lot of experience managing fractures and applying casts, including working within fracture clinics of large tertiary hospitals. We work closely with your GP or specialist to select the most appropriate cast for your fracture and use the best materials to ensure lightweight comfort and secure healing.
Facts about casts
• Casts are usually on for 6-8 weeks. This is how long it takes for most breaks to become stable.
• Casts can be made from plaster or synthetic material. Plaster casts need to be kept completely dry, but some synthetic casts are waterproof.
• When a cast comes off, the injured body part is usually still sore for several weeks, but this is usually due to stiffness and weakness not because the bone hasn’t healed properly.
• Casts require a special saw to take them off, but it’s completely safe in the right hands.
• Casts ALWAYS smell when you take them off!
Services we have available at Glebe Physio include:
• Waterproof casting (depending on the area that has been broken).
• Cast removal.
• Rehabilitation after broken bones.
• Provision and fitting of orthopaedic orthoses such as CAM boots (‘moon-boots’) and braces.
Not only can we make your cast, but we are very well-placed to follow-up your rehabilitation after the broken bone has healed. Injuries that have been in a cast and immobilised for a period of weeks always require some rehabilitation once the cast is removed. This is to ensure that the affected joints regain full movement, strength and pain-free function.
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For more, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
If you would like to ask a question about our services or anything else, visit our Contact Us page to get in touch.
If you are ready to make an appointment, visit our make a booking page and let us help you with your fitness or recovery.