You’ll need to take it easy and be careful with your activities during this time. Doctors call this being “atrophied.” This is normal, too, but it will take a little longer for your muscles to get back to normal. The muscles of your limb will likely appear smaller and weaker because you haven’t been using them.

Your limb might smell a little bit (after all, it’s been in a cast and not washed for a while!).

The hair on your arm or leg might seem darker and thicker than usual.

Your skin might look dry, scaly, flaky, or pale.

They should clear up fairly quickly so there’s no need to worry about them: What Will My Limb Look Like?ĭon’t be alarmed, but there’s a decent chance your limb might look a little odd when the cast comes off. There is a chance your foot might be a bit swollen. If you’re having a leg cast removed, bring a loose or larger-than-normal shoe with you to the doctor’s office. Your doc might even decide that you’ll need a different cast or one that is shorter than the one you have now. If you still have pain or trouble moving the limb, the doctor may give you a splint to wear until it heals more. He or she will check for pain and see if you have a good range of motion. When your limb is out of the cast, the doctor will examine it again.

It’s the vibrations that break the cast apart, so there’s nothing to hurt your skin. It has a dull blade that moves from side to side. If everything seems OK, the doctor or a cast technician will remove the cast with a special saw. The doctor may want to take an X-ray of the limb when it’s still in the cast and check things like your pain level.

What Will the Doctor Do?īefore removing the cast, the doctor will examine your limb (the part of your body where the cast was, like your arm or leg). Here’s what you can expect in the coming days and weeks as your cast is removed and your body finishes the healing process. While it does, you’ll need to give the part of the body that was in the cast a little extra care and avoid some physical activities. It will take a while for everything to get back to normal. But it’s not as simple as “goodbye, cast hello, hockey” (or football, basketball, lacrosse, or whatever your sport is). So you’re getting your cast removed soon - and you probably can’t wait to get back to life as normal.

Remove cast at home