Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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Your plaster will be hard when you leave the department.
Plaster of Paris casts will take about 48 hours to dry completely and reach full strength. During this time, try to keep it uncovered as much as possible.
Synthetic (usually coloured) casts take about half an hour to dry.
Care of your cast
Please don’t get the plaster wet
If the plaster is made of a synthetic material, water will not affect it, but the padding will take a very long time to dry, and your skin will become soggy and wet.
You can buy a waterproof cover for your plaster cast from www.
Please don’t poke or push anything inside your plaster
This will cause pressure and can damage your skin, and make your cast uncomfortable.
If you do wish to draw on your cast or get people to sign it please be use permanent pens as felt pens can rub off.
Care of your arm
When wearing a cast on your arm, it is important that you do not allow the other joints to become stiff. Exercise is important to prevent this, but it should be gentle and not cause you pain.
- Bend your fingers and thumb and then straighten them.
- Bend and straighten your elbow (not if the cast extends above the elbow).
- Stretch your arm above your head (not if you have a shoulder injury)
- Make a fist, then straighten fingers.
- Circle thumb round in both directions
- Move the thumb to touch each finger in turn.
These exercises should be performed regularly.
Do not allow your arm to hang down for any length of time, as it may become swollen and painful.
Elevate it to heart level when you are sitting. You may wear a sling for short periods but it does not need to be worn constantly, unless you have been advised otherwise by a doctor.
Contact 111 immediately if you experience any of the following
- extreme pain or increasing pain since the original injury.
- pain in the chest or shortness of breath.
- your fingers become blue and swollen (not bruising, which can be normal following an injury).
You may be advised to attend Wexham Park Hospital Emergency Department.
Contact the Plaster Room on either site if you experience
- any blister-like pain or rubbing under the cast.
- numbness or pins and needles in the fingers.
- discharge, wetness or smell under the cast.
- swelling that is not going down even after elevating the limb to above heart level.
Or if
- the cast becomes cracked, soft, loose or tight.
- you drop anything down inside the cast.
When to seek help
Please phone for advice if you have problems or queries and we will arrange for you to come in.
Direct telephone number to the Plaster Room Wexham Park 0300 615 4058
Opening hours
Monday 9-5
Tuesday 9-5
Wednesday 9-1 (CLOSED PM)
Thursday 9-5
Friday 9 -5
Closed weekends and bank holidays
Please note that Heatherwood Plaster Room is not available for walk ins.
Plaster Room Frimley Park 0300 613 4339
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Plaster room service.
About this information
Service:
Plaster room
Reference:
N/002
Approval date:
28 February 2024
Review date:
1 March 2027
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.