Caring For A Broken Toe

Stubbing, hitting or damaging your toe can feel like the end of the world in that moment. It's painful and everyone knows that. But how do we know if we have done any real damage to our toes? Take a look at our latest blog to learn more about the different types of a broken toe and how we can ease the pain. 

A broken toe is often not broken at all; it is actually fractured. It is a very common injury, and although it feels that way, in most cases, it isn't life-threatening. The most common toe broken is the smallest pinky toe, with the fracture occurring near it's base. Four of your toes (the smaller four) are made of three bones (phalanges), the proximal, middle and distal, as well as two joints. The big toe, however, has only two bones; these are the proximal and distal phalanx.

As mentioned previously, there are a couple of ways in which we can categorise a fracture or breakage of your toe; these include:

• Repetitive stress fractures - Caused by overuse or repetitive degenerative activities.
• Non-displaced fractures - Here, the bones may be broken, but they have not broken apart or been displaced
• Displaced - Here, the ends of the broken toe will have separated either partially or fully
• Open fractures - This one will look the worst. Here there is a breakage, and the bone will protrude from the skin.
• Closed fractures - The bone is broken, but it is not poking through the skin.
• Avulsion fractures - A type of small chip-type fracture commonly caused by the tendon pulling away from the bone.

How can we tell if the toe is broken?

Depending on the type of break or fracture you have sustained, it might be difficult to know if you have actually broken or just badly bruised your toe. There are, however some key signs you should look out for, these include: 

• Severe bruising, swelling or redness
• Intense and throbbing pain
• Difficulty walking, applying weight or moving
• Crooked or misshapen appearance

Due to the nature of the injury, we always advise that you seek the opinion of a highly qualified podiatrist like ourselves if you feel you may have broken a toe. We will be able to give you the most accurate diagnosis and give you the best advice tailored to treat your specific condition and prevent it from becoming any worse. 

What are the most common causes of a broken toe?

Aside from the most apparent, like stubbing your toe or accidentally dropping something heavy on it, there are a couple of ways in which your toe could become broken. These include overuse, rolling your toe, wearing poor footwear and even Osteoporosis. 

How to care for a broken toe

Broken toes are often treated somewhat conservatively unless there are signs of the toe becoming relocated. The main methods by which a broken toe is treated are:

• Rest -  Take the time to rest your foot. Keep it elevated if possible.
• Ice - Ice will help to stop the swelling and inflammation following an injury and will help to ease pain
• Casting - While not often necessary, it is still one of the best treatment options for a broken toe. This isn't a full cast, just an enforced boot to take excess pressure off your foot.
• Taping - This is, infact, a common misconception. This method isn't always advised and can do more harm than good. Only do this if advised to do so by a podiatrist or other health care professional.
• Anti-inflammatory medication - This will help to ease pain and keep inflammation to a minimum.

Fractures and injuries to the big toe will often be more severe and treated differently. If you have broken or fractured your big toe, you should consult with a podiatrist or doctor as soon as possible. Turf toe is a common condition that can affect the big toe and is often confused with a minor fracture.

If you have any foot-related problems and would like a second opinion, give us a call, we will be happy to help! 

*This blog contains general information about medical conditions and is not advice. You must not rely upon the information in this blog as medical advice. Medical advice should always be sought from an appropriately qualified podiatrist such as ourselves.