So much pain from plaster cast

Rob,

Thanks for getting back. Were you in plaster with your Achilles. As mine was a tendon transfer they plaster your foot in the relaxed position, and with all the debridement I had the plaster is pressing on the wounds. Fingers crossed, I seems to be settling a bit.

No, I don't think it was a plaster cast. It was more like a stiff splint, with my foot in a position that relaxed the achilles (heel up, toes down at about 45 degree angle). I was only in that for a week before the surgeon removed it and put me in a boot with heel lifts that immobilized my foot. I was non-weight bearing for about 4 weeks, then removed one lift (started with 3) each of the next 3 weeks, while slowly increasing weight bearing--like 25%, 50%, and 75% each week until I could do walk with the boot for a week. Then it was boot off, and trying to find shoes that would fit my swollen and misshapen foot and heel. Physical therapy started as soon as the splint was off. I had some pain, many folks reported various levels of pain and numbness associated, it seems, with swelling. Also had some "shooters," sharp jabs of pain in the heel that were very intense, but only lasted a couple seconds. Haven't had one of those, come to think of it, in a few weeks. It's slow, Val; don't give up on yourself or the PT. It will get better with time.

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your input. I have been fending for myself last three days. A bit apprehensive. Got out of bed this morning, on the other side so my plaster was against the way it goes. It is quite heavy & I feel like I have upset the nerve in the tarsal tunnel. My big toe is hurting and my foot & leg feel like the nerve is irritated. I also had pulling on the muscle of the transferred tendon. Have you had any thing like this, an and what might help.

I have in fact experienced the pain in the big toe--in fact I still have occasional shots of sharp pain when walking. Physical therapist says it is due to the long immobility and atrophy of some of the muscles impacting the various connective tissue. What helps is actually pulling on the toe, kkind of like cracking a knuckle. Don't know if you can get to it with the plaster cast.

When do you get out of the plaster? When you do you will be able to take boot off and get some ice on the ankle several times a day--that really helped me. Also be able to do more mobility exercises (taking off sock and trying to move some marbles around with the toes--sounds silly, but wait til you see how hard it is--but the mobility comes back pretty quickly--a few weeks--once the plaster is gone).

I also have had the sensation of the tendon pulling on the muscle--felt like I had a steel cable between the calf muscle and heel. That will get better once you can start walking on it. Also felt like my ankle was filled with fine sand--really annoying. All part of swelling and nerve irritation.

Hang in there. One day at a time...

val38137, my big toe also starts hurting almost from last week of me being in cast, and it didn’t go away even now (maybe week 15). This pain first was in metatarsal area, but now it’s in Toe joints(specially first joint of big toe) , the sharp pain goes up when walking, especially if I don’t wear a Walking Shoe, then for sure after few steps it starts hurting...

There are people who suggest moving the toe will help, and that we should keep moving it. But I personally didn’t feel if that help.