How do I sleep with my walking boot on?

When people get foot injuries, they tend to feel uncomfortable with injury treatments such as walking crutches due to strain under the armpit area. There are however better options for treating injuries of the foot such as the use of medical walking boots. These boots are worn to treat and recover from different foot injuries. The boot works to reduce movement around the place of injury and makes lifting off the foot bearable. Persons with foot injuries might, therefore, ask, “Do I sleep with my walking boot on?” Medical boots are lighter and comfortable to have on and thus wearing them to bed would make it okay after loosening the straps for comfort enhancement.

Factors to consider when choosing a walking boot

1.    Type of foot injury 

There are two basic types of boots for broken toes designed by length differences.

• •    Short walking boots - To heal from post-operative foot surgery, digital and metatarsal fractures, as well as foot and ankle soft tissue trauma short walking boots, are recommended. 
• •    Tall walking boots- These are best suited for stress fractures of the lower leg, stable fractures of the foot and ankle, and acute ankle sprains.

2.   The type of walking boot 

The primary types of walking boots are the open and closed type.

• •    The closed walking boot type has the benefit of protecting the foot and toes infection risks and serves to maintain the foot in a stable state and keep it warm. Warmth is especially assured during cold and wet seasons and thus help maintain the foot in a dry state. A closed boot also assures protection by reducing the chances of the toes acquiring further injuries through hitting against a surface. The closed boot is safest for toe injuries and is mostly used following surgeries given that it minimizes swelling and it provides sufficient support.
• •    The open walking boot-type works effectively by providing aeration around the foot area. These type of boots are incorporated when it best serves the type of foot injury. An advantage of purchasing these types of boots is that it allows for sufficient toe space for incorporating additional bandages. The open surgical shoe is commonly embraced for post surgery due to the intense swelling that usually follows.

3.   Inflated walking boot type

•    Inflated walking boots describe the type of boots operated by air under pressure. This is a feature that functions to increase the stabilization of an individual’s foot injury. How this quality works is that the air is inflated into an air bladder thus allowing for compression of the foot. The inflated type of walking boot is subsequently applied after surgeries since they minimize pain, swelling reduces the healing time. Stabilization also functions to prevent movement within the boot.

Individuals with foot injuries are encouraged to minimize movement and take breaks from time to time when walking. In this way, the healing process is enhanced. Air-filled boots are comfortable due to their lightweight but having them on for a long period may take a toll on a person’s foot. Doctors would usually recommend for the application R.I.C.E procedure to cancel out this problem. The acronym stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. R.I.C.E is a modified self-treatment technique that caters for swelling, pain reducing and hasten the healing process.

To conclude on the question of “do I sleep with my walking boot on?” as earlier stated is fine. An additional tip to wearing one’s walking boots to bed is to incorporate pillows around the injured foot to ensure adequate support. This strategy prevents for occurrences of further injury caused by foot displacement within the boot especially when the straps are let loose.