Tips for Lower Limb Injuries
Hey guys. I hope this week has been a good week for you. It’s been a reasonably chill week; the weather is finally cooling down, so I can spend more time outside. I love sitting on our patio with my morning coffee while reading a book or doing my schoolwork.
One of my friends recently got injured and has never had a severe lower limb injury before. If you’ve known me for a while, you’d know that I have plenty of experience with that. I used to be pretty accident-prone, to say the least. So far, that is all behind me, which I’m very thankful for.
This post will discuss my tips for making life with a lower limb injury easier.
(Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and nothing I say should be taken as medical advice. I always speak from my own experiences).
Get crutch covers
Trust me, getting crutch covers will SAVE your armpits, especially if you’re on crutches for a long time. There are many options as far as crutch covers go, but I recommend the lambswool ones.
Invest in a shower cast cover.
If someone suggests “tying a garbage bag around your cast” to “keep it dry in the shower,” feel free to smack them because that is something you should never do. Nothing is worse than a wet cast, trust me. The cast underpadding is all cotton, retains a ton of water, and will take forever to dry (using a blow dryer won’t work). There are a ton of cotton layers under the fiberglass part of a cast, and your best bet is to get it replaced ASAP. You risk a slew of skin infections with a wet cast.
Invest in a waterproof cast cover to prevent your cast from getting wet. It’s got an airtight seal and lasts for years. (Seriously, I’ve had mine since 2016).
When in a boot - Get an Aircast
Once you’re no longer in a cast, you’ll likely be in a boot while you get used to weight-bearing again. I highly suggest you get an air cast because the heel profile is lower (making walking easier), and the air chambers on either side stabilize your ankle much like a fiberglass cast would. This is an excellent option if your doctor suggests you use a boot over a cast. This is what I primarily use when I have ankle injuries now.
Set the crutch height 2” taller than your height
Does your back ever hurt when you’re on crutches? That’s cause you’re slouching. Crutches are “supposed to” have 1 ½ - 2” underneath your armpit, but I think that is crap. Not only are you slouching, which makes your back hurt, but I find that it’s just harder to use crutches that way. I personally set mine at the 5’2” measurement rather than the 5’0” measurement. I suggest you experiment with this one and see what works best for you.
Cut tiny slits in jeans
If you love to wear jeans, like I do, having a lower limb injury might come off as a bummer when your skinny jeans are too tight to fit over a cast. My tip is to find a pair of jeans you wear but don’t care too much about (hopefully not an expensive pair) and cut a slit, maybe an inch or two long, right next to the end seam. This allows the hole at the bottom to widen so you can stretch a cast over it.
Use a door to get them off
Along with the previous tip, if you’re wearing jeans with a cast and you’re having trouble getting them off, take them off as much as you can, wedge the rest into a door, close the door, and gently pull. You’re welcome.
Duct-tape your crutches
For funsies, if you want to bedazzle your crutches, using duct tape can make them look a little more chic. My first pair were sparkly pink, and my second pair are sparkly black.
Use tempura or acrylic paint to decorate the boot
Also, if you want to make your boot a prettier color, paint the plastic shell with acrylic or tempera paint. I almost did this for a show a couple of years back, but we left my boot alone because the grey color also worked with my costume.
And that completes my tips on making life with a lower limb injury better. As always, I hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t forget to like, comment, share and join my mailing list if you want to be updated every time I post something new. Sending all the light and love in this world.
