Medication
Treatments for a broken toe include:
- Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE): The RICE method is useful for many types of injuries, including broken toes. ...
- Buddy taping: This involves wrapping the toe and taping it to the adjacent toe to keep it supported and protected.
- A post-surgery shoe or boot: These devices have a stiff sole that allows a person to walk without bending the toe. ...
Procedures
You can manage a fractured toe very safely yourself as long as it isn't your big toe, isn't crooked or out of line and there is no skin wound over or near the fracture. You should, however, see a doctor for your broken toe if: The pain becomes worse and isn't relieved by normal painkillers.
Therapy
Here are some tips on healing a broken toe, from the team at Entire Podiatry:
- Use ice to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling as soon as possible after sustaining a toe injury. ...
- Keep off your affected foot as much as possible and avoid putting pressure on it. ...
- Consider taking an anti-inflammatory pain medication such as Nurofen. ...
Self-care
- Most swollen, bruised and painful toes are not broken.
- X-rays are only needed for severe pain and severe injuries.
- If the big toe might be broken, it should be seen by a doctor. ...
- A broken great toe is not urgent. ...
- The treatment is the same whether or not the toe is broken.
- The treatment of all broken toes is pain medicine and comfortable footwear.
See more
What is the best treatment for a broken toe?
Should you go to the doctor for a broken toe?
What is the healing time for a broken toe?
Should I go to the doctor for a broken toe?
What can you do for a broken middle toe?
Dotake ibuprofen or paracetamol for the pain and swelling.rest your foot and keep it raised.hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel on your toe for up to 20 minutes every few hours.wear wide, comfortable shoes with a low heel.avoid walking around as much as possible.More items...
Should I go to the doctor for a broken middle toe?
If you think you broke your toe, it's best to have your doctor look at it. Even though you can often treat it yourself, a broken toe can sometimes lead to more serious problems, like infection, arthritis, or long-term foot pain.
How do you know if you broke a middle toe?
Broken Toe Symptoms Bruising of the skin around the toe may also be noticeable. The toe may not look normal, and it may even look bent or deformed if the broken bone is out of place. It may be difficult to walk because of the pain, especially if the big toe is fractured. Shoes may be painful to wear or feel too tight.
How do I know if my toe is broken or just bruised?
How do I know if my toe is broken or just bruised? A bruise on the bone can feel similar to a break, Dr. King says. “The most obvious sign that it's a fracture is if the painful toe is pointing in a different direction than your other toes.
What happens if you leave a broken toe untreated?
Broken toes that don't heal properly increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis or permanent nerve damage down the line. The right treatment with a foot and toe expert helps ensure your broken toe heals the right way so you can resume your normal activities without worrying about complications.
Will walking on a broken toe make it worse?
Although it may be possible to move and walk on your broken toe, you should avoid doing so as this can lead to even greater damage and prolonged healing time.
Will a broken toe heal on its own?
Most broken toes will heal on their own with proper care at home. It can take 4 to 6 weeks for complete healing. Most pain and swelling will go away within a few days to a week.
Should you wrap a broken toe at night?
Never tape the toes together skin-to-skin. Your broken toe may need to be buddy-taped for 2 to 4 weeks to heal. Rest and protect your toe. Do not walk on it until you can do so without too much pain.
How serious is a broken toe?
Well-healed broken (fractured) toes usually cause no ongoing problems. The possible complications, which are more likely to happen after severe breaks, include: Failed healing of the bones: this can either mean the bones heal in a crooked state or that they don't heal together at all.
Should I go to hospital for a broken toe?
Most people break a toe by stubbing it or dropping something on it, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you did something like that and have broken toe symptoms like pain, swelling, and discoloration, per the Mayo Clinic—then you'll definitely want to seek care.
How long should I buddy tape a broken toe?
Protect the skin by putting something soft, such as felt or foam, between your toes before you tape them together. Never tape the toes together skin-to-skin. Your broken toe may need to be buddy-taped for 2 to 4 weeks to heal. Rest and protect your toe.
What is a broken toe?
A broken toe is often the result of a painful and significant event, such as falling, stubbing the toe very hard, or dropping an object on the toe. These types of breaks are known as traumatic fractures. Traumatic fractures can range from minor to severe.
How to prevent toe break?
Injuries and accidents are not always avoidable, but the following steps may help minimize the risk of breaking a toe: Avoid wearing non-supportive shoes, such as flip-flops. Flip-flops offer little support to the foot, which can cause unnecessary strain on the muscles and bones.
What does it mean when a toe is displaced?
A displaced fracture means the broken bone has moved out of place. This may occur with more severe traumatic fractures. A displaced fracture in the toe can cause the toe to appear crooked. In some cases, a displaced fracture may break the skin and result in the bone protruding out of a wound.
Why does my toe crack?
Without the support of the muscle, the toe bone becomes vulnerable to pressure and impact. Too much stress on the bone eventually causes it to crack. Symptoms of a stress fracture in the toe include: pain that occurs after activities such as walking or running. pain that goes away with rest.
Why does walking on a broken toe hurt?
Walking on the broken toe too soon can delay or prevent healing. This may cause pain for months or even years after the injury. Arthritis in the affected joint. A person may develop arthritis if the bone is broken near a joint in the toe and is not correctly aligned before it heals.
How to prevent toe fractures?
Improve balance and posture. Regular physical activity, including strength training and balance exercises, can reduce the risk of slips and falls that result in toe fractures. Keep diabetes under control. People with diabetes are at risk of neuropathy, which damages the nerves in the feet.
What is stress fracture?
Stress fractures are usually small hairline breaks that occur after repeated stress on the bone. They are a type of overuse injury and often occur in bones of the legs and feet.
How to heal a broken middle toe?
When you have a broken middle toe, you can often benefit from a regime of physiotherapy exercises which can help to minimise pain in the foot, make walking more comfortable and to increase the range of movement in the foot and toe. Through exercises to strengthen the bones and muscles in the foot and toes, healing will be achieved more rapidly.
What does it mean when your middle toe is broken?
Broken Middle Toe. A broken middle toe may seem to be quite a minor injury, however it occurs fairly frequently and can be extremely painful. Usually caused by dropping a heavy item onto the foot or by walking into furniture, a broken middle toe may only affect a small part of your body but it can cause some surprisingly long lasting problems.
Why do you need physiotherapy for your toe?
However a course of physiotherapy can serve several purposes: To help to give extra strength to the toe in order to guard against a re-occurrence of the injury. To regain movement in the middle toe. To be able to walk comfortably without experiencing pain. To restore the foot and toe’s normal functions.
How long does it take for a broken toe to heal?
On average, a broken middle toe will time around four to six weeks to fully heal, although this will depend on how bad the original fracture was. Following healing, a programme of rehabilitation exercises will ensure that residual pain is minimised, and movement is restored to the toe and foot.
Can you put a broken foot in a plaster cast?
In some rare cases, the break will be severe enough to warrant the foot being put in a plaster cast, however usually only minor treatment will be necessary. Sometimes, a special shoe is recommended by doctors to protect the injured toe while it is swollen and painful.
Can you get free treatment for a broken middle toe?
Although many people don’t know that they could possibly benefit from free private treatment, many people across the length and breadth of the UK have been able to receive free treatment for their broken middle toe and not had to pay anything themselves.
How to get rid of a broken toe?
Make sure the tape isn't too tight. Also make sure you remove it and apply fresh tape and padding after washing your injured foot. Pain relief: take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve the pain. Ibuprofen gel applied to the toe may be helpful if the skin isn't broken.
What does it mean when your toe is broken?
A broken (fractured) toe is a fairly common injury which usually needs no specific treatment . It is most often caused by dropping a heavy object on to your foot or badly stubbing your toe.
Why does my toe go numb?
The toe goes numb or tingly. This suggests pressure on, or damage to, the nerves to the toe (which run up the side of the toe, one on each side). The skin on the toes has turned blue (other than bruising) or grey and is cold to the touch when the other toes are not. The toe is bent at an angle or with an open wound.
What to do if your toe is swollen?
Ibuprofen gel applied to the toe may be helpful if the skin isn't broken. Protection: wear sturdy shoes with stiff soles, that don't squash or bend the toe. You can begin normal activity once the swelling has gone down and you're able to wear a protective shoe comfortably.
Why are toe bones so vulnerable?
However, toe bones are more vulnerable because they are small bones and because they are on the edge of the body, so are more likely to be injured in the first place. A broken little toe, caused by stubbing it, may be particularly common due to its position.
Why do you cast a broken big toe?
A broken (fractured) big toe may be put in a cast to support it, as it takes much more of your weight than the other toes and is also needed for balance. The big toe is more likely than the smaller toes to need surgery in order to heal properly and to be as strong as it was before you broke it.
How long should I ice my toe?
Ice: beyond 72 hours ice is no longer beneficial. Hold an ice pack to the toe for 15-20 minutes every one to two hours for the first couple of days. See the separate leaflet called Heat and Ice Treatment for Pain for more information. Elevation: this means sitting or lying with your foot up, as high as is comfortable.
What to do if your toe is broken?
It’s mostly up to you to rest your toe and keep it stable. Even before you know whether your toe is broken, you should ice the injured toe and keep it elevated. You may also take over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen ( Tylenol ), ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin ), or naproxen ( Aleve ).
How to get rid of a toe?
Ease back into your activities, but listen to your body. If you sense that you’re putting too much weight or stress on the toe, back off. It’s better to have a longer recovery and avoid any painful setbacks than to rush back into your activities too quickly.
What happens if your toe is broken?
A broken toe that doesn’t heal properly could lead to osteoarthritis, a painful condition that causes chronic pain in one or more joints. Your doctor will examine your toe and ask for your medical history. Tell your doctor as many details as you can ...
What happens if you stubbed your toe hard?
If you’ve ever stubbed your toe hard, the immediate, severe pain can leave you wondering if your toe is broken. In many cases, the injury winds up being a sprain. This is painful, but it means the bone itself is still intact. If the toe bone breaks into one or more pieces, then you have a broken toe. Learning to recognize the symptoms and treatment ...
Why does my toe break?
Causes. The two most common causes of a broken toe are stubbing it into something hard or having something heavy land on it. Going barefoot is a major risk factor, especially if you’re walking in the dark or in an unfamiliar environment.
How to tell if a break is a sprain or a break?
With a sprain, the pain may be felt in a more general area around the toe. The only way to tell for sure if the injury is a break or a sprain is to see your doctor.
How long does it take for a toe to heal after a toe injury?
You’ll likely need to avoid running, playing sports, or walking long distances for one to two months after your injury. Recovery time can be longer if the break is in one of the metatarsals.
What is the best way to fix a broken toe?
Casting, if the toe has become dislocated. Wearing podiatrist-provided stiff-soled shoes to support the fracture. Pain & anti-inflammatory medication.
How to tell if your toe is broken?
How to Tell if a Toe is Broken: Symptoms & Identification. Broken toes are some of the most common breaks of the foot and are frequently marked by symptoms like: Severe bruising. Intense & throbbing pain. Swelling.
What is the most common toe injury?
Out of the five toes (also known as digits of the feet) the pinky toe is the most commonly broken toe with the fracture often occurring at the base of the toe.
What causes a toe to break?
Some of the most common causes of broken toes include: Overuse. Stubbing or banging your toe against something hard. Rolling your toe. Dropping a hard and/or heavy object on your toe. Wearing poor footwear. Osteoporosis.
Why do athletes break their toes?
These breaks are often referred to as “turf toe.” Turf toe is caused by excessive and repetitive pushing off of the big toe when making explosive movements (e.g. running & jumping), and can vary from a sprain to a broken bone with ligament damage. If you’re experiencing severe pain from your big toe after athletic or strenuous activity you may need to be examined for a break.
What causes a fractured toe?
There are several ways to categorize your toe fractures: Stress fracture – caused by repetitive activity / overuse. Non-displaced – bones are cracked but have not broken apart. Displaced – ends of the broken toe have separated completely or partially from the rest of the bone. Open fractures – skin is broken and the bone is protruding.
What are the bones on the toes called?
Your toes make up a portion of your foot referred to as the forefoot. Four of your toes are comprised of 3 bones called phalanges, and two joints. The big toe, however, is made up of only two bones and one joint. The three smaller bones, or phalanges, of the toes are the: Proximal – bone closest to the foot. Middle.
What to do if your toe is hurting?
If so, try icing the injury and taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, Dr. King says. However, if severe pain or swelling persists, see a doctor. Also, observe your injured toe carefully, Dr. King says. If it has a deep cut or wound, your bone might be exposed to air and so should be evaluated by a physician.
What to do if your toe bone is dislocated?
Afterward, you may be required to wear a walking boot. If you have significant displacement or your toe is dislocated, you might need surgery to realign the bone.
How long do you have to wear a walking boot after a fracture?
If the break is a simple fracture, in which the parts of your bone are still lined up properly, your doctor will probably put you in a walking boot for about three weeks , Dr. King says. The walking boot keeps your toes immobile so the bones can knit back together in alignment.
How to tell if you broke your toe?
Other clues to a broken toe include swelling, discoloration and bruising. If your toe is at a different angle than the toe on the other side — and it wasn’t before your injury — seek medical help right away, Dr. King says. Advertising Policy.
Can you tap a broken toe?
Taping a suspect ed broken toe can help alleviate pain if the break is simple and the bones are aligned. However, this won’t help the break to heal correctly, so it’s important to see a doctor, Dr. King says. If you had a bad break, taping your toes could actually make things worse, he says. Advertising Policy.
Can a toe fracture cause arthritis?
King says. Even if it’s a simple fracture, your toe could heal improperly, which can cause problems down the road, such as arthritis.
How to treat a broken toe?
The most effective treatment protocol for minor musculoskeletal injuries (including stress fractures) is abbreviated R.I.C.E. and stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. The first step is rest — temporarily stop all activity that involves your injured foot in order to address your injury. Next, cold therapy (ice wrapped in a thin towel or frozen gel packs) should be applied to the broken toe as soon as possible in order to stop any internal bleeding and reduce inflammation, preferably while your leg is elevated on a chair or stack of pillows (which also combats inflammation). Ice should be applied for 10-15 minutes every hour, then reduce the frequency as the pain and swelling subside over the course of a few days. Compressing the ice against your foot with a compression bandage or elastic support will also help control the inflammation.
What to do if your toe is broken?
If more than one toe is broken or other bones of the forefoot are injured (such as the metatarsals), then your doctor might apply a plaster or fiberglass cast to your entire foot . Short-leg walking casts are also recommended if the fragments won't stay snugly together.
How to make a splint for toes?
To make a simple, homemade splint for additional support, place trimmed Popsicle sticks on both sides of your toes before taping them together. If you're unable to tape your own toes, then ask your family doctor, specialist, chiropractor, podiatrist or physical therapist for assistance. ...
What does it mean when your toe is bent?
In contrast, a mangled, bent, or deformed toe is usually a sign of a more serious fracture and best left to trained professionals. The smallest toe (5th) and the biggest (1st) are fractured more often than the other toes.
How to treat a toe injury?
2. Take over-the-counter medications. Your doctor may recommend anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, or regular analgesics (painkillers) such as acetaminophen to help combat the inflammation and pain associated with your toe injury. [6]
How to improve foot biomechanics after a broken toe?
2. Wear shoe orthotics. Orthotics are customized shoe inserts that support the arch of your foot and promote better biomechanics while walking and running. Following a broken toe, especially if the big toe is involved, your gait and foot biomechanics may be negatively altered from limping and avoiding toeing off.
What is a broken toe called?
Most broken toes are called "stress" or "hairline" fractures, which means a small surface crack that's not serious enough to misalign the bones or break the skin's surface.
How to fix a broken toe?
This treatment is called buddy taping. Put a small piece of cotton or gauze between the toes that are taped together. (This prevents the skin between the toes from developing sores or blisters .) Using as little tape as necessary, loosely tape the broken toe to the toe next to it.
Who can treat a broken toe?
You likely will be referred to an orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in disorders of the musculoskelteal system, or a podiatrist, a specialist in conditions of the foot, for treatment. You also may be diagnosed with a broken toe in a hospital's emergency department by an emergency medicine specialist.
How long does it take for a broken toe to heal?
The healing time for broken toes usually takes about six weeks to heal. If problems last longer than six weeks, another X-ray may be needed, or the injury should be rechecked by the doctor to evaluate how the bone is healing. Simple toe fractures usually heal well with no problems.
What is the most likely part of the foot to be injured?
The location of the toes (at the front part of the feet) makes them the most likely part of the foot to be injured. Prolonged repetitive movements, as in certain sports activities, can cause a type of broken type of broken toe called a stress fracture or hairline fracture.
How to reduce swelling from a broken toe?
To help decrease pain and swelling in a broken toe, elevate the foot, ice the injury, and stay off the foot. Depending on the severity of the fracture, the toe may need to be put back into place (reduced), and some compound toe fractures may require surgery.
Why is it so hard to walk with a broken big toe?
This is because the big toe bears much of the weight of the body during walking or pivoting. A broken little toe (pinky toe) may be painful but usually does not limit the ability to walk. Other symptoms include.
How many bones are there in the foot?
A commonly injured area of the foot is the small bones of the toes (phalanges). There are 26 bones in the foot; 19 are bones in the forefoot (five metatarsals and 14 phalanges). Trauma and the injury to the foot often causes one or more of the toe bones to break (fracture).
How to help a broken toe?
What you can do to help yourself or, as a first responder, someone else is. Cooling: Wrap an ice pack or cool pack in a cloth and hold it gently on the broken toe. This can relieve pain and swelling. Immobilize: Move the broken toe as little as possible and do not put any weight on it (i.e. do not step on it and walk).
How long does it take for a broken toe to heal?
The healing time depends, among other things, on the type of fracture (smooth, shattered, etc.). It takes about five to six weeks on average until the bone has healed. The toe can then be fully loaded again and no longer hurts.
How to tell if your toe is broken?
The good thing is that a broken toe shows symptoms that even laymen can easily recognize. For example, a broken toe is indicated by signs such as. Misalignment. intense pain. restricted mobility. Swelling. bluish to black discoloration under the nail or on the whole toe due to bruising (sometimes) If the big toe is broken, the symptoms are ...
What are the risks of a broken toe?
Fractured toe – risks: including comminuted fracture, compartment syndrome, soft tissue damage, nail bed injury. When to see a doctor? Always have a (supposedly) broken toe examined by a doctor to prevent any permanent damage (such as malpositioning).
What is a closed toe fracture?
A closed toe fracture is present if the soft tissue layers above the fracture are not injured. Sometimes the fragments of the broken toe are displaced (dislocated) and/or bone rubbing is heard when the toe is moved carefully. An X-ray examination is necessary for a clear diagnosis.
Why is my big toe bluish?
bluish to black discoloration under the nail or on the whole toe due to bruising (sometimes) If the big toe is broken , the symptoms are the same as for the other toes. However, this is the most problematic form of toe fracture, as the big toe carries the most weight.
How long should you wear a bandage on a broken toe?
In children, a broken toe usually only needs to be taped for about three weeks. Adults should wear the bandage for four to five weeks until the pain subsides. If the deformity is still maintained, surgery may be necessary. The affected person may only apply painful pressure to the broken toe.
