{"id":1386,"date":"2015-09-03T18:04:33","date_gmt":"2015-09-03T22:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/\/?page_id=1386"},"modified":"2020-12-29T11:15:25","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T16:15:25","slug":"cast-care","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/cast-care.html","title":{"rendered":"Cast Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>How to Care for a Cast<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1387 size-medium\" title=\"Cast Care\" src=\"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/bigstock-Ladies-leg-in-Cast-being-treat-88719461-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Cast Care\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/bigstock-Ladies-leg-in-Cast-being-treat-88719461-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/bigstock-Ladies-leg-in-Cast-being-treat-88719461.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>A cast is a custom-made, double-layer \u201cbandage\u201d that is designed to support and immobilize an injured limb while it heals. The first layer, which is placed next to the skin, is made of cotton or a soft synthetic material that provides comfortable padding around the bones. This inner layer is surrounded by a hard outer shell constructed of plaster or fiberglass.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, a cast must remain in place for several weeks. In order to help it do its job and provide maximum benefits, it\u2019s important to properly care for a cast and the injured limb it protects. Here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep the cast clean and dry. For bathing, you can encase the cast in a plastic bag and secure it with a rubber band. Some fiberglass casts have special liners that allow them to get wet; your doctor can provide specific care instructions for this type of cast.<\/li>\n<li>Do not file down or break away any part of the cast, which can weaken it and make it prone to breakage.<\/li>\n<li>Refrain from attempting to scratch your skin by inserting objects, powders, or lotions inside the cast; instead, use a hairdryer set on a cool setting to blow air inside the cast.<\/li>\n<li>Move your fingers (if your arm is in a cast) or wiggle your toes (if your leg is in a cast) to promote circulation.<\/li>\n<li>Elevate the affected limb above your heart to reduce swelling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While wearing a cast, you should see your doctor right away if you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Experience pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in your injured limb<\/li>\n<li>Develop redness or swelling around the cast<\/li>\n<li>Notice a foul odor, crack, or soft spot in the cast<\/li>\n<li>Get the cast soaking wet (and it is not designed to be waterproof)<\/li>\n<li>Feel that the cast is too tight<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At South Tampa Immediate Care, our experienced medical staff will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about your cast. Our walk-in clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and we do not require appointments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Care for a Cast A cast is a custom-made, double-layer \u201cbandage\u201d that is designed to support and immobilize an injured limb while it heals. The first layer, which is placed next to the skin, is made of cotton &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/cast-care.html\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1386","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2883,"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1386\/revisions\/2883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southtampaimmediatecare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}