Question
i just had surgery on my hand and it is in a cast.  How long will it take for the muscles in my hand to atrophy (my concern is for visual atrophy)?  I am getting married in 6 weeks, my cast will be taken off in 5 weeks.  Will my hand have NOTICABLE atrophy?  Thank you so much for your help.  Lois

Answer
Dear Lois

My expertise is in hips, not hands.  But I will tell you that you will probably have muscle weakness when the cast comes off.  You might want to ask your doctor to recommend a physical therapist and tell that therapist your concerns.  It may be the PT can give you some exercises to do while in the cast that can help alleviate the atrophy

Good luck in your marriage, I've been married for 23 years and it's the best thing I ever did

Sharon Davis