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.
Broken toes are some of the most common breaks of the foot and are frequently marked by symptoms like:
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.
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If it hurts the rest of the day and longer, you may have a fracture. When you stub your toe, it's normal to expect some bruising and even some blood under the toenail. But, if the discoloration lasts for a few days, if it spreads, or if it seems like there is too much blood under the nail, you might have a broken toe.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How to buddy tape a broken toe
The uninjured digit acts as a sort of splint, and helps to support, protect, and realign your finger or toe. It can also help prevent further injury to the digit. Buddy taping can be used for minor finger and toe injuries such as sprains or strains.
Begin wrapping at the top of the arch and proceed around the outside of the foot. Repeat this process 3 times. Continue to wrap once around the big toe, pulling the toe slightly out and down. Continue wrapping around the remainder of the foot, keeping the bandage comfortably snug.
How's a sprained toe treated?
If necessary, put an appropriate adhesive bandage over any cuts or scrapes. This will help seal the open skin against bacteria. If your toe is bruised, inflamed, or appears at an odd angle, it may be broken or sprained.
You can return to normal activity once the swelling has gone down, and you can wear a stable and protective shoe. There may be some soreness and stiffness when you walk. This will go away once the muscles in your toe begin to stretch and strengthen. Ice your toe after activity if there is any pain.
The most common symptoms of a broken pinky toe include: a popping sound when the injury occurs. throbbing pain that's immediate and may fade after a few hours. difficulty putting weight on your foot.
Increased blood flow delivers nutrients to the broken toe, aiding in a speedy recovery. Decreases Swelling and Pain: Compression socks help to reduce swelling in the foot. By limiting the fluid build-up, compression socks help to alleviate pain and tension placed on the nerves.
However, it can be intensely painful. Stubbing a toe can even cause breaks, sprains, broken nails, and infections. The pain of a stubbed toe usually subsides after a few minutes. In some cases, however, the impact could break the toe or the toenail, causing intense pain that may get worse over hours or days.
Place a small piece of cotton or gauze in between the little toe and the toe next to it to prevent sores or blisters, and then loosely tape the toes together. The tape can be removed for bathing and put back on afterwards. Toes may need to be buddy taped for up to four weeks to heal.