How do you know if a toe is broken?

Answer 1

Its hard to be 100% sure by just looking at it sometimes. If you had an injury or direct trauma to the area and there is swelling, pain, difficulty weight bearing, these MIGHT indicate a fracture. You don't always see a deformity.

If your toe is twisted or out of normal alignment, don't delay care. Get an X-ray and doctor's care to prevent a permanent deformity.

However, doctors do nothing special for an ordinary fracture of a toe. They simply tape it to the next toe. The tape should NEVER be tight. Swelling should NEVER appear at the end of the toes -- if so, the tape is too tight and should be removed promptly. After icing the area, and all swelling going down, it can be re-taped.

Rest, ice and elevation are the 3 measures used for toes. Rest means stay off it as much as possible. Elevation means put it on a pillow when sitting and laying. Ice means 10-15 minutes of an ice pack, then remove; reapply every 4-6 hours for 15 minutes. Always put a towel or cloth between the ice and the skin. Ice can freeze skin, so check the skin every 5 minutes when ice is on, and move the ice to a new position.

A broken toe usually starts to feel better within 1 week if you do rest, ice, and elevation. It can take 2 weeks for swelling and bruising to go away. Pain can persist in the toe's joint for months, or off and on for years.

Prevention: Wear closed-toe shoes even in the house, no flip-flops and no bare feet.

Answer 2

Only an x-ray and a doctor can tell for sure if it is broken.

It is rare to have to set a broken toe. Usually we either "buddy tape" them to the next toe (but not the big toe) or leave them alone and let them heal. It should take about 4 weeks for the bone to heal but you can have soreness for a few months.

Answer 3

A broken toe will cause a significant amount of pain and will likely be stiff. Swelling and bruising are also very common, but not all cases will have these symptoms. If you suspect that you may have broken a toe, you should have it x-rayed to be sure.

Answer 4

I don't really know. I think MY toe is broken but i don't know.

Answer 5

You might not be able to tell if your toe is broken. call your doctor and say what happened. he will either tell you to go to the hopsital or sugguest what to do. (experienced)

Answer 6

The only way to tell for certain if your big toe is broken is to have it x-rayed. It is still possible to move a broken toe.