What comes to your mind when you hear the words 'walking boot'? Well, many of us would think it is just an ordinary boot that you put on when going for a walk. However, a walking boot is a medically prescribed device for treatment of sprained ankles, fractures and tendon tears.
The boot consists of features such as Velcro straps for fastening the boot, a smooth inner lining made of fabric that promotes comfortability and a hard outer shell made of plastic for rigidity and protection of the foot. The shoe works by limiting ankle movements. So, how do you go about wearing this boot?
Here are the five simple tips to use for wearing a walking boot:
1. Start by undoing every Velcro strap.
As you go about this process, you will notice that the straps possess quite a high adhesive power. This component is essential in enhancing their durability as they can open up to 900 times and more.
2. Get the foot in the foam liner.
The foam liner is in the inner part of the boot and is composed of a fabric that rests the foot comfortably. Open the liner and slide your foot inside ensuring that your heel rests at the very back part of the boot. As you do this, it is advisable to be in seated with your knee bent at 90 degrees to avoid the possibility of further straining to the injury.
3. Close up the liner.
After the foot is seated fully in the liner, close the liner beginning from the toes and working your way up. It is a very crucial tip for wearing a walking boot, precisely because by working your way up, prevent swelling from building up on foot. In case you notice that there is some extra space left between the liner and the boot, fill these spaces with the foam pads provided for a snug fit.
4. Securing the Velcro straps.
The next step after the foot is settled in the liner is fastening the Velcro straps staring from the foot, all the way up to your leg. For a good snug fit, ensure you pull the Velcro straps tightly but not too tight to the extent whereby you do not feel your toes. Restricting circulation, in this case, will cause more harm to the injury. Well, nobody wants that when the aim is to gain a quick recovery.
5. Get your walking boot in action.
Try to move around by beginning with short steps slowly. Be keen to and take note of any feelings of pressure that the foot might be experiencing. If you happen to notice such, unfasten the Velcro straps again and add in the extra pads to alleviate the stress. If this does not work, you can start from step three all over again to check whether you might have closed the liner too tight. After taking the corrective action, put it to test again by walking around. A comfortable walk indicates that all is well.
Conclusion.
In addition to these tips to use for wearing a walking boot, it is critical to remember not to drive in a walking boot for safety purpose, do not sleep with the boot on and last but not least do not bear extra weight within the first six weeks. For a more fun look, you can always use walking boot covers to hide the injury.
When everything is in the right place, and you can move around comfortably in your walking boot, then you aced the process, and you can now walk your way to recovery.
Leave a Reply