If your toe looks like this, you need a Podiatrist!
If I Broke My Toe, the longer you wait and walk on a broken toe, the worse it can pull apart and may lead you to need surgery to fix it. To the left is a broken toe image. If you get it immobilized quickly, you will stop further damage to your broken toe from occurring and allow healing to begin.
Weather you dropped a steak out of the freezer onto your toe, or jammed it into the bottom of your bed, if it turns black and blue, get it looked at. This broken toe picture is a good indication you have a serious problem.
Immediate treatment of a broken toe includes:
- Ice it right away
- Wrap it up with some compression, like an ace wrap
- Elevate Your toe above your heart
- Immobilize it, hard shoes…
- Call your Podiatrist, Pittsburgh!
How to tell if your toe is broken …or how to tell if you broke your toe…broken big toe symptoms:
- Pain to touch
- Black and blue toe
- swollen toe
- Can’t move it
- sticks out of skin (very bad)
To the left is what a big toe looks like on x-ray when its broken. If it measures more than 2 mm out of place, you may need to pin it back together. If you have a broken big toe joint you may get arthritis down the line. This is why you should x-ray it immediately. If it is broken and you walk on it , the parts may slide further apart instead of setting back in place, then only surgery will be able to fix your broken toe, instead of just wearing a special shoe for a few weeks
At Beaver Valley Foot Clinic we have many treatment options for if I Broke My Toe. We will find the one that best suits your injury, your activities, and what you need to get done every day.
What Happens After A Toe Is Broken?
• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising that may persist for up to two weeks
• Stiffness
In order for your toe to heal properly, the bone may need to be straightened if it is crooked after the accident. Surgery is an option here or it can be done without.
With the right care at home, most broken toes will recover on their own. Complete healing can take between four and six weeks. Within a couple of days to a week, most discomfort and swelling will subside.
The skin just below the toenail can bruise if something is dropped on it. As your nails develop, this will eventually disappear. To lessen pain and perhaps prevent infection, the nail may be removed if there is a lot of blood under it.
Broken Toe Treatment or what to do if I Broke My Toe:
Treatment options for a fractured toe:
- Surgical shoe- broken toe shoes
- Camwalker or Fracture Walker- Broken toe boot
- Shoe Inserts
- Soft Cast- Broken Toe Splint
- Plaster Cast
- Fiberglass Cast
- Unna Boot
- Broken Toe Cast
- K-Laser
- Broken Toe Surgery
There are many factors that go into the decision of what treatment is best for a fractured toe. You need to be honest with your doctor about what device you will really wear and use. You need to discuss your job requirements, and family responsibilities. All of this goes into the choice of treatment of a toe fracture. The same goes if you have a broken 4th toe, broken little toe, or even a broken big toe
Can You Prevent A Broken Toe?
Broken toe is often a result of accident and we can’t avoid accidents.
However, we can decrease the chances of these mishaps and provide safety to your toe.
Here are some tips that can keep your toe safe:
- Exercise Daily
Maybe you didn’t know this before but luckily exercises can improve your body’s balance.
Any exercise that keeps moving your feet and legs can help you improve your blood circulation and help your cerebellum balance your body!
So you should try some normal activities like walking, swimming, jogging, and yoga.
- Avoid Uncomfortable Or Unsupportive Footwear
Uncomfortable shoes include shoes that don’t fit you well, if they don’t provide enough space to your feet then they can increase the risks of injuries.
While unsupportive footwear include flip-flops, they don’t provide protection or support to your toe at all which makes them a bad choice.
Therefore wear shoes that fit well and never wear anything else other than shoes!
- Try To Manage Your Diabetes
This may sound weird but yes managing your diabetes can prevent broken toe.
Diabetes can cause neuropathy and this neuropathy damages your nerves this includes toe nerves too, so a weakened toe will not be able to manage your balance and falls may happen.
Therefore if you are a diabetic person then you should manage your diabetes.
Recovery For Broken Toe
Even after a few weeks, your toe is probably still going to be sore and swollen. After your injury, you’ll probably need to refrain from jogging, participating in sports, or taking long walks for one to two months. If one of the metatarsals is broken, recovery time may take longer. The longer bones of the foot, known as the metatarsals, are joined to the phalanges, or smaller bones in the toes.
Based on the severity and location of your injury, your doctor can provide you with an accurate recovery time estimate. For instance, a little fracture should recover more quickly than a more serious break.
When will a broken toe heal?
After four weeks, the pain will be considerably decreased, and after eight weeks, you should be able to walk normally once more. Your damaged toe should be entirely healed after 12 weeks. You can resume your regular exercise regimen, which includes jogging and leaping.
Injury to the toe is fairly common. However, it is recommended to have a doctor have a look at it if it appears like your toe is broken.