Stubbed your toe? We have all been there, done that—sometimes while climbing a flight of stairs barefoot or while stumbling around the house in the dark. And we know how the throbbing pain almost kills us. But, for most of us, the pain subsides in a few days, and we are back to our normal condition. However, there are times when the pain persists, which might indicate that your toe is broken.
Symptoms of a broken toe
Both sprained toe symptoms and broken toe symptoms are similar. However, a fractured toe hurts more than a sprained toe. Signs and symptoms of a broken toe include:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Stiffness
- Pain or tenderness
- Discoloration of the skin around the toes
- The toe may look deformed or abnormal
- Pain while walking
- Injury to the nail bed
- Tingling in the injured area
- Bleeding, if there is an open wound
- Difficulty in wearing shoes
Broken toe treatment
Once your doctor has confirmed that your toe is broken—your doctor might take an X-Ray to diagnose and confirm—he may give you medications and other painkillers to deal with the issue. Here are some other standard courses of action that physicians take when dealing with broken toes.
Immobilization
A broken toe is often immobilized so that the broken ends may be knitted together. This is either done through buddy taping, casting, or wearing a stiff-bottomed shoe.
- Buddy taping: This is a standard method of treating an injured toe wherein the affected toe is bandaged to the uninjured toe. The uninjured toe acts as a support or splint for the injured one and helps realign it. This method is adopted in case of a minor injury, like a simple fracture.
- Casting: If you have badly injured your big toe, then you might need a cast. Casting helps the broken fragments of the toe stay together, which is not possible otherwise.
- Wear a stiff-bottomed shoe: Doctors usually recommend wearing a shoe with a hard bottom post-surgery. This shoe helps in keeping the broken toe stable and prevents it from flexing.
Reduction
This method deals with treating a broken toe and putting the broken pieces together without surgery. This method can remove tension on the skin, reduce swelling, decrease pain, and lower the risk of an infection in the bone. However, this is only beneficial when done immediately after diagnosis.
Home remedies
Various lifestyle changes and home remedies can also efficiently heal a broken toe. Applying ice wrapped in a toe for around 15 minutes every few hours can be helpful. Elevating your toe above the level of your heart can also help in reducing swelling.
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