Wearing a Camboot – the Facts
A Camboot or Walking Boot is a removable foot and leg splint. It has a rigid sole. The ankle is kept immobilized with plastic moulding and in some cases metal strips. The boot is lined with a washable foam fabric. The front of the boot, from just below the knee to the toes, opens. Multiple Velcro straps secure the boot from knee to toe. It is wonderful in the treatment of ankle and foot injuries and can be incredibly inconvenient and troublesome to wear!
Camboot Variations
A full length Camboot was once the only option. A shorter ankle version has become more commonly used. The short one is much better for older people or not so tall people. A full length Camboot can be quite heavy. If you can possibly tolerate the full length, this camboot will offer greater immobilisation of your injury. Grey or Black are still the dominant color offerings. There are Camboots that offer different ankle positions, these are less common and not widely provided by health professionals.
Camboot is used for Immobilisation
When your foot is injured, your podiatrist may wish to stop your foot from moving a little bit, or a lot. How much is part of the expertise of your Podiatrist. A plaster cast from knee to toes will allow zero foot movement. Kinesiology tape will allow much more movement. A Camboot – a removable restrictive boot is used in some instances. You may need to wear it for a short time, a long time or somewhere in between. oh yes, by the way the CAM in Camboot stands for Controlled Anke Motion. Types of foot injuries that a camboot is used for include foot fractures, plantar fascittis and many more
Common Camboot problems
“Many people become seriously frustrated when they wear a Camboot. Aaarrggghhhh. Having worn a Camboot myself for 10 weeks, I now understand the things I SHOULD have told my patients”.
Following are some tricky things that may happen…….back of heel gets sore….. bottom of heel gets sore……inside of ankle gets sore…….toes get sore….toes get cold……top of foot gets really sore……inside of ankle gets sore….leg and foot get hot…..boot liner smells bad……whack your camboot on furniture……..rock and roll on uneven ground…..really hard to walk downhill….walk with a limp ….upset your back and neck because of the limp…..slow progress…..no rushing for a bus……..boot fabric is a magnet for grass cuttings and fluff……
Top 5 Fixes for Camboot Problems
- Sit on a chair or edge of your bed, with your knee at 90 degrees when you put on your Camboot
- Push your heel all the way back into the device – your toes shouldn’t hanging over the front
- Fasten the ankle strap first, then the others
- Don’t fasten the straps too tightly across the top of your foot – feels ok to start with – the pain will start later
- Hand wash the liner in cool to warm water with a little mild soap – it will smell so much better
Dont Give Up
These things can be managed. Don’t give up. Talk to your Podiatrist and work through the issues. Wearing the Camboot is important to your recovery. Suffering in silence or dumping the boot in a river , although tempting, is not the solution.
Updated 11/6/2021
