Broken Toe Facts and Treatment

Answer 1

Broken toe, commonly called a fracture, can occur when the toe is stubbed, something drops on the toe or prolonged repetitive stress or movement takes place. Symptoms occurring from broken toe include pain, swelling, stiffness and noticeable bruising at the injury site. The toe may look bent or deformed; walking and wearing shoes may be painful.

Most broken toes can be treated through self-care:

Elevate the foot above the heart as much as possible to relieve swelling, and prop the foot up with some pillows when sleeping. Apply an ice pack by filling a plastic bag with ice or using frozen peas or corn. Keep the ice pack on the toe for 15 to 20 minutes every 1 to 2 hours. Do this for 1 to 2 days. Protect the skin by wrapping the ice pack in a towel. Keep prolonged standing, walking and strenuous exercise to a minimum while the toe heels and use crutches if needed. Seek immediate care at an emergency facility if any of the following symptoms occur: Cold, numb, or tingling toes, blue or gray skin, open wounds, bleeding or drainage near the broken toe.

Immediate complications may occur such as a nail injury and open fracture. Nail injury, called subungual hematoma, is a collection of blood beneath the toenail. A large subungual hematoma requires drainage by a Doctor Who makes a small hole in the toenail. A very large or painful hematoma may require removing the toenail.

Although rare, the broken bone may stick out through the skin, referred to as a compound fracture.

To prevent infection, the doctor carefully cleans the wound and prescribes antibiotic medication. In rarer cases surgery may be required. Later complications can include Arthritis, pain, stiffness or deformity. This may also require surgery.

As alternative therapy, the doctor may tape the injured toe to the toe next to it. This is called buddy taping. The doctor may prescribe a special shoe to wear if the foot or toes are extremely swollen. If the toe is dislocated or rotated, pointing in the wrong directions, the doctor may need to put it back in place using general anesthetic. Recovery from broken toes usually takes six weeks.