Medication
- Rinse the mouth with warm water or saltwater
- Apply pressure to stop the bleeding
- Use an ice pack to help reduce any swelling
- Take acetaminophen for pain relief (do not take aspirin, which could increase the bleeding)
- Avoid chewing on the affected side of the mouth
- Avoid hard foods like hard candy
Procedures
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. ...
Therapy
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.
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 tooth?
What is the healing time for a broken toe?
Should you go to the doctor for a broken toe?
Should I go to the doctor for a broken toe?
Should I go to the doctor for a broken 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.
Do fractured toes heal on their 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. If something was dropped on the toe, the area under the toenail can bruise.
How can you tell if you've broken your toe?
How to Tell if a Toe is Broken: Symptoms & IdentificationSevere bruising.Intense & throbbing pain.Swelling.Deformity.Difficulty walking.Toenail discoloration.Crooked & misshapen appearance of the toe.
Do broken toes need to be treated?
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.
What happens if you leave a broken toe untreated?
A fractured toe that's left untreated can lead to infection You're at increased risk of developing a bone infection if you have diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or a compromised or weakened immune system. Symptoms that suggest your toe has developed a bone infection include: Fatigue.
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.
Do you need to go to hospital for a broken toe?
A broken toe can be painful, but you do not usually need to go to hospital.
Can you walk on a broken toe?
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. If the doctor has told you to use crutches, use them as instructed.
How long does it take a broken toe to heal completely?
Most broken toes heal well, usually within four to six weeks. Sometimes, a broken toe may become infected or increase the risk of osteoarthritis in that toe in the future.
Do you get a boot for a broken toe?
Doctors will first recommend either a walking boot or a cast, along with a toe plate, for around 2–3 weeks. They will then recommend a rigid-sole shoe for 3–4 weeks.
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 color is a bruise on a traumatic fracture?
Many traumatic fractures feature a visible bruise that is dark purple, gray, or black.
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 are toe bones important?
Although the bones in the toes are small, they play an essential role in walking and balance. Their crucial role in everyday life means that a broken toe can be inconvenient and extremely painful.
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.
What are the symptoms of a broken toe?
Symptoms of a broken toe include: pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty walking.
What to do if your toe is bent?
For pain, take acetaminophen ( Tylenol) or ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin ). 2. Get Help. If you have severe pain, can’t walk, the toe looks bent or deformed, or the pain lasts for a long time, see a doctor. 3.
How to treat a swollen foot after a foot injury?
Apply ice up to 20 minutes at a time. Wrap it in a towel; do not apply directly to skin. Keep the foot elevated as often as possible, especially the first 2 days after injury, to help control pain and swelling. For pain, take acetaminophen ( Tylenol) or ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin ). 2.
What is the treatment for a badly broken toe?
If there is a lot of blood under the nail this may put pressure on the nail and make it very painful. Your accident and emergency department may make a small hole in the nail with a heated needle in order to allow the blood to escape, or they might remove the nail. However, they will be cautious if there is a break (fracture) beneath the nail, as if the nail is intact it will protect the break underneath from infection.
How to treat a broken toe?
If your broken (fractured) toe is not displaced, it is not your big toe and the skin is not broken then you may be able to manage it at home yourself, as long as none of the conditions above apply. Rest, ice and elevation are recommended for initial management to help reduce bruising, swelling and pain, and therefore shorten recovery time.
What causes a broken toe?
A broken (fractured) toe is an injury normally caused by either dropping a heavy object on the toe or stubbing the toe hard. Generally it takes quite a lot of force to break a bone. 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.
How is a broken big toe treated?
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.
What are the possible complications of 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:
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 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.
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 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]
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.
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 long does it take for a broken toe to heal?
Following surgery, and especially with the help of a cast, severely broken toes take six to eight weeks to heal, depending on the location and extent of the injury.
How to treat sudden toe pain?
If you develop sudden toe pain from some type of trauma and it doesn't fade away after a few days, then schedule an appointment with your family physician or go to the emergency room of your local hospital or an urgent care clinic that has X-ray services if symptoms are severe.
What is the best way to diagnose a broken toe?
X-rays, bone scans, MRI, CT scan and ultrasound are modalities that specialists may use to help diagnose your broken toe. Broken toes are usually the result of dropping something heavy on the foot or "stubbing" a toe against something hard and immovable.
Where to go for a broken foot?
Preparing for your appointment. You will likely initially seek treatment for a broken foot in an emergency room or urgent care clinic. If the pieces of broken bone aren't lined up properly for healing, you may be referred to a doctor specializing in orthopedic surgery.
What do you use to fix a fractured bone?
Surgery. In some cases, an orthopedic surgeon may need to use pins, plates or screws to maintain proper position of your bones during healing. These materials may be removed after the fracture has healed if they are prominent or painful.
What to do if you have a displaced fracture?
Reduction. If you have a displaced fracture, meaning the two ends of the fracture are not aligned, your doctor may need to manipulate the pieces back into their proper positions — a process called reduction. Depending on the amount of pain and swelling you have, you may need a muscle relaxant, a sedative or even a general anesthetic before this procedure.
What is the best way to see bone and soft tissue?
CT scans can reveal more detail about the bone and the soft tissues that surround it, which may help your doctor determine the best treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What is a bone scan?
Bone scan. For a bone scan, a technician will inject a small amount of radioactive material into a vein. The radioactive material is attracted to your bones, especially the parts of your bones that have been damaged. Damaged areas, including stress fractures, show up as bright spots on the resulting image.
Why do they move your foot?
They may move your foot into different positions, to check your range of motion. You may be asked to walk for a short distance so that your doctor can examine your gait.
Can a broken toe be cast?
Minor foot fractures may only need a removable brace, boot or shoe with a stiff sole. A fractured toe is usually taped to a neighboring toe, with a piece of gauze between them. Surgery.
How to help a broken toe heal?
Carefully try to put more pressure on your broken toe each day to see how it’s recovering. Take any slight improvements in pain and discomfort as signs that your injury is healing.
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 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.
How long does it take to walk after a toe fracture?
With a walking cast, you should be able to walk and resume most non-strenuous activities within a week or two after injuring your toe. The pain should diminish gradually if the bone is healing properly. If you feel any pain in your broken toe, stop the activity that’s causing the pain and tell your doctor.
How do you know if you broke your toe?
Symptoms. Throbbing pain in the toe is the first sign that it may be broken. You may also hear the bone break at the time of injury. A broken bone, also called a fracture, may also cause swelling at the break. If you’ve broken your toe, the skin near the injury may looked bruised or temporarily change color. You’ll also have difficulty putting any ...
How to help a person who has a broken bone?
Keep the person calm. When a bone is fractured severely due to trauma (like a car crash) or a fall, it is common for the victim to go into a state of shock, which can shut down the body's ability to repair and regulate. It's important that you keep the person as calm as possible until emergency help arrives, or until you can transport them to the hospital.
How long should you wait to treat a fractured foot?
This is universal for any kind of bone fracture or stress fracture, and is the best way to treat a fracture at home for the first 72 hours after your injury or until you can seek medical care. Rest. Immediately stop what you are doing and refrain from any activities that cause pain to your foot.
What is the procedure to check for a hairline fracture in the foot?
At the hospital or doctor's office, your practitioner will conduct a series of examinations and tests, most likely including an X-ray of the bones in the foot. An X-ray will show whether the bone is fractured severely or if it only has a hairline fracture, or if there is no fracture at all.
How to heal a fractured bone?
3. Take some acetaminophen. Your fracture is likely to cause some considerable pain, so treat the pain safely while promoting healing in your bones. Avoid naproxen sodium and ibuprofen, which some doctors believe have the potential to delay the healing process with bone injuries.
What is a fracture in the foot called?
A fracture is a break in your bone or the surrounding cartilage, and the severity of a foot fracture can range from what is called a "hairline" or "stress" fracture to a full break across the foot.
How to reduce swelling in foot after fracture?
Once your foot is wrapped, sit or lie down and elevate your foot above the level of your heart to further decrease swelling. For tips about how to recognize the symptoms of a fracture in your foot, keep reading.
What is a foot fracture?
Article Summary X. A foot fracture is a beak in the bone or cartilage of your feet and can range in severity from a small, hairline fra cture to a full break across the whole foot.