Anyone broken their toe/foot?

[Heather in Neverland]

I am certain I broke my pinky toe/ metatarsal (I had to look that up!) this evening. I hit it hard and I heard it crack. The pain is actually a lot more severe than I thought something like this would be. It is quite swollen and feels "off" ... like it is slightly crooked (if that makes sense). I cannot put any weight on it at all and I cannot wiggle it. It actually hurts slightly further down the side of my foot rather than the toe itself.

 

Of course it happens late on a Saturday evening! Figures.

 

So the question: is it true that "there's nothing they can do" for it? I have never broken a bone before but I've always heard that they don't cast this kind of break and there is nothing they can do so it isn't worth going in for an X-ray.

 

At this point I am going to bed (after popping Tylenol and attempting to stabilize it with tape). If I wake up and it is still this bad, or worse, should I have it X-rayed? Or just skip it?

 

I am not entirely sure how I will get around until it heals. I can't believe how bad it hurts. I feel like a big sissy!

[MooCow]

Well, I broke my big toe, and it hurt like heck for weeks. I finally went to my dr because it was also my toe with an ingrown toenail, and the pressure

was horrible. My dr really wanted to xray it to make sure it didn't need surgery, but we have new insurance that sucks, and I wasn't willing to pay

bucko bucks when odds were that it was fine. It was fine, and healed nicely.

 

I hope you feel better!

 

PS the dr did tape my big toe and the one next to it together. I kept it taped for about two weeks.

[magic]

I have broke many toes and my foot a couple of times. You need to buddy tape your toes. Take a little piece of a cotton ball and place it between the broken toe and the toe next to it. Tape the two toes together with bandage tape. The cotton is needed for swelling. If your toe tingles, feels hot or cold, or you see a red line or bump- you need to contact your doctor to make sure there is no nerve damage or infection. Ibuprofen is best for swelling. If it hurts to put a shoe on, you can purchase a surgical shoe for around $20 at a pharmacy or medical supply place. Try to practice RICE for the first 48 hours- rest, ice, compress, and elevate. I am not a doctor put have had my share of injuries and a have teenage boys who have had their fair share as well. Good luck!

[Parrothead]

I think they most a medical facility will do is tape it and the toe next to it together.

[Onceuponatime]

I think they most a medical facility will do is tape it and the toe next to it together.

 

Yep, my oldest son broke his toe last year and that was all they did. The taping does help though. Without it the toe takes longer to heal.

[Veritaserum]

I've broken my pinky toes multiple times each. After the first time, I just did what I knew the doctor would do and taped my toes together. The first week is the most painful, but the pain is reduced once the bone is set in place. I've broken lots of bones unfortunately. I hope your pain lessens soon and that it heals well.

[lmrich]

Put it up, ice it, and stay off of it for 24 hours. See if the pain is just the pinky toe. The problem could be that you broke a bone further down and because the foot has poor blood supply anyways there is a risk. If it worse rather than better see a doctor for an x-ray. Best of luck!

[dbmamaz]

tape, ice and ibuprofen. i have broken my pinky toe several times (i walk quickly, barefoot) but last time, 4 days after i broke it, the dog jumped on it. it hurt even more and i went in for pain meds. they gave me their favorite tape - which i didnt actually like at all. it was stretchy and made the pain much worse. they gave me crutches, but that was cuz i also had a bad knee. they gave me a 'boot' which i only wore when i went out. and then i stubbed it again. so i wore the boot religiously for 2 weeks :bored:

[Lady Florida.]

I'm pretty sure I broke a pinky toe once. When I called my doctor, because I'd always heard the same thing, they said. "You can tape it yourself, or you can come in, we'll X-ray it, then tape it." IOW, "Aside from the x-ray, we can't do any more for you than you can do for yourself."

[Julie in CA]

I did that last year, and it was not good. I know everyone says that taping is the thing to do, but that didn't work for me at all. After about 2 weeks, when I still couldn't walk on it without extreme pain, I went to the doc. Turned out that I had broken two of my toes, and had 5 breaks going back farther into my foot.

 

They put my foot in the yucky immobilizer thing with the velcro straps that keep the foot from bending at all, and that's what finally helped it heal. I guess during the two weeks that I didn't go in, I'd been repeatedly re-breaking my foot every time I walked on it (which was a LOT because I pretty much tried to do everything, no matter how much it hurt!). It did take 6 weeks in the immobilizer thingy to be healed, and honestly, sometimes I can still feel a little something like pain, though it's not frequent, and I take it as a sign that I need to examine what I'm doing.

 

I think it's possible to buy the velcro-strapped thing online, at much less expense than I had getting it from the orthopedic surgeon they sent me to. :rolleyes:

 

ETA: This is exactly what I had, but they charged me $57 for it plus the cost of office visits. :glare:

http://www.amazon.com/Trainers-Choice-Orthopedic-Post-Op-Female/dp/B004W2OQ3Y/ref=sr_1_19?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1359828503&sr=1-19&keywords=orthopedic+shoes

[DianeW88]

Nothing they will do for a pinky toe. A big toe needs to be seen by a doctor. For a pinky toe, swallow lots of pain pills and buddy tape it to the next toe. Elevate, ice, and swallow more pills. Should be fine in a week or so.

[Alessandra]

I have broke many toes and my foot a couple of times. You need to buddy tape your toes. Take a little piece of a cotton ball and place it between the broken toe and the toe next to it. Tape the two toes together with bandage tape. The cotton is needed for swelling. If your toe tingles, feels hot or cold, or you see a red line or bump- you need to contact your doctor to make sure there is no nerve damage or infection. Ibuprofen is best for swelling. If it hurts to put a shoe on, you can purchase a surgical shoe for around $20 at a pharmacy or medical supply place. Try to practice RICE for the first 48 hours- rest, ice, compress, and elevate. I am not a doctor put have had my share of injuries and a have teenage boys who have had their fair share as well. Good luck!

 

 

What she said.

 

I broke a little toe a few years ago. I splinted it to the next toe. It still hurt a few weeks later, so I went to my orthopedist. He said I had done the right thing and sent me home.

[hillfarm]

I broke 2 toes at martial arts class. Dh insisted I go to the Dr. in case something was wrong that would cause me more pain later if I didn't treat it now. (Always the voice of reason, that man...)

 

The Dr. said that if there is just pain and redness or bruising, it is probably just a simple break. He examined my toes and said I broke the pinky toe once and the "ring" toe in two places. He said as long as they were basically straight and the pain did not go back into the main part of my foot, that the only treatment was being taped to their neighbor. He asked if I wanted an x-ray to confirm, but I declined. Why subject my body to radiation when it makes no difference in treatment, let alone my wallet? The Dr. went on to say that if the toe appeared twisted or stuck out at an angle that was not caused by swelling, then it would require an x-ray and might need surgery to straighten it.

 

As others have posted, it hurt quite a bit at first, but by 3 or 4 days was much less painful. It did however, take about 4 weeks to stop huring entirely. HTH

[swellmomma]

regularily. dealing with 1 right now. I buddy tape. The only reason I would go to the dr for a broken toe is if there is an open wound with it, it is grossly deformed, or was showing signs of more serious injury(like other poster mentioned, heat, tingly, streaking etc). Otherwise buddy taping works wonders. Between buddy taping my toes when needed and taping my sole for the PF I have I go through the stuff like crazy but it works very very well. And with the stability the pain decreases.

[Wheres Toto]

I broke the longer metacarpal on the outside of my foot years ago. I was walking up stairs and slipped off the edge. I walked around on it for weeks before finally going to get it checked out. The only reason I went to get it checked was because it was bruising funny. Whenever I walked on it, I would get a rainbow shaped bruise along that entire side of my foot. When I was off it, the bruising would go away. Went to my doctor, sent me right over to an orthopedic podiatrist. I had snapped right through the entire bone. He said I was extremely lucky the two halves didn't separate (would have meant surgery and pins) and the only reason they probably didn't was because I had been wearing flat lace up boots or sneakers every day.

 

I'd get it checked.

[lllll]

..

[lea1]

I am certain I broke my pinky toe/ metatarsal (I had to look that up!) this evening. I hit it hard and I heard it crack. The pain is actually a lot more severe than I thought something like this would be. It is quite swollen and feels "off" ... like it is slightly crooked (if that makes sense). I cannot put any weight on it at all and I cannot wiggle it. It actually hurts slightly further down the side of my foot rather than the toe itself.

 

Of course it happens late on a Saturday evening! Figures.

 

So the question: is it true that "there's nothing they can do" for it? I have never broken a bone before but I've always heard that they don't cast this kind of break and there is nothing they can do so it isn't worth going in for an X-ray.

 

At this point I am going to bed (after popping Tylenol and attempting to stabilize it with tape). If I wake up and it is still this bad, or worse, should I have it X-rayed? Or just skip it?

 

I am not entirely sure how I will get around until it heals. I can't believe how bad it hurts. I feel like a big sissy!

 

If it is hurting down the side of your foot, as you indicated above, I would go have it check out by a doctor. If you broke a bone in your foot (not just your toe), you will likely need to have it at least immobilized. If it feels a bit "off" or "crooked" as you indicated above, it could that the broken bones in your foot are not quite lined up correctly. You definitely would not want it to heal that way. I would have it XRayed just to make sure.

 

I broke a bone in my foot a couple of years ago and it was quite painful. I was not allowed to put any weight on it for 6 weeks so I was in a cast. After that, I was in the black velcro boot thing for another couple of weeks and I could put weight on it then. Even two years later, it still hurts a bit if I step on it a certain way.

 

Feet are so important to your overall body alignment and health, I would definitely have it checked out.

[I.Dup.]

I did break my 3rd toe. It hurt for quite awhile and got swollen and ugly bruised. I never went in and now it's crooked. Not sure if there's anything they could have done, but I don't have lasting problems (other than that it is crooked)

[MommaOfalotta]

Ive never broken a toe before, but I have a pretty severe case of what they call "turf toe". (Caused by hyperextending the toe, apparently) Anyway.. I just wanted to let you know I feel your pain! Most people don't think much of an injured toe but its surprising how difficult one hurt little toe can make EVERYTHING, lol. 5 years later and my toe is still extremely sensitive and I can't move it, touch it, etc.

 

I hope your toe heals quickly and your pain lessens! (and that it was really just a break!)

[speedmom4]

I broke my toe when I was in high school. It was VERY painful. It was very swollen and turned almost black. That toe has never been the same. It still hurts to completely straighten it and it is a bit curled.

 

Hope you get some relief soon!

 

Elise in NC

[Heather in Neverland]

I just woke up and the toe itself is really swollen as is the side of my foot. The whole area is blue and it is very painful. Ridiculously so. I am actually most aggravated by the fact that an area so small can hurt this much! I can't walk on it at all. Not even a little pressure or pain shoots through my foot and toe. Dh wants me to get an X-ray and our insurance covers it so I may do so. After I drink my coffee and whine a little more. :)

[Farrar]

I broke my big toe as a kid. We were underinsured and IIRC my mother called someone who said not to bother taking me in and paying all that money because they would just tape it. I remember it very clearly that it hurt like anything. Oy. I can still remember what a pain it was. I did it right at the start of summer break and I remember it still hurt to walk on it well into July, a month later.

[Mrs Mungo]

I broke my fifth metatarsal a while back. They gave me a strap-on air cast that took the weight off my foot and allowed me to get around without further injury. Mine was broken in 3 places. I was given instructions on what I was allowed to do when. I followed instructions and was able to avoid surgery. I would definitely have it x-rayed.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

You have received great advice so I won't burden you with more.

 

I have broken every one of my toes as well as one of my feet. I cannot bend 3/4 of my toes anymore. Sexy high heels are out as is competitive tennis. I can no longer go up on my toes.

 

My worst break occurred when my horse jumped onto my foot and shattered my big toe. I didn't realize the injury was as severe as it was and didn't treat it for many months. It requires surgery in order to repair the damage. :(

 

Good thing I can ride bikes and kayak without any issues. Good hiking boots/shoes are a must, too.

[MommaOfalotta]

I just woke up and the toe itself is really swollen as is the side of my foot. The whole area is blue and it is very painful. Ridiculously so. I am actually most aggravated by the fact that an area so small can hurt this much! I can't walk on it at all. Not even a little pressure or pain shoots through my foot and toe. Dh wants me to get an X-ray and our insurance covers it so I may do so. After I drink my coffee and whine a little more. :)

 

Right!? Its crazy.

[Carrie12345]

I would likely have it checked out.

 

For me, there's a real psychological aspect to it, too. If the internet says tape and rest, I'll tape and maybe take it easy for a day or two.

 

If a doctor and $100 copay tells me to tape and rest, I'll tape and put myself on bed rest for the entire healing process. And remind dh that we spent $100 and he wouldn't want me to waste it by doing laundry too soon!

[Lady Marmalade]

I'm sorry. I actually broke the same little toe twice in less than a year. How something so small can hurt so badly, I'll never know! It definitely took a good 6 six weeks before that toe felt normal both times.

 

I did not use the buddy taping. Good gravy, adding the tape made me see stars, it hurt so bad! Fortunately for me, I broke it during warm weather, so I literally wore only sandals or flip-flops for the first two weeks.

[KungFuPanda]

I've broken my pinky toes multiple times each. After the first time, I just did what I knew the doctor would do and taped my toes together. The first week is the most painful, but the pain is reduced once the bone is set in place. I've broken lots of bones unfortunately. I hope your pain lessens soon and that it heals well.

 

WHAT the heck are you doing to keep breaking your toes?

[Guest submarines]

It depends exactly where it is broken. The first time I broke my metatarsals, I required surgery and a non-walking cast for 16 weeks. The second time I broke another metatarsal, I was just told to rest, and it healed in 6 weeks. The first time the pain level was similar to what you are describing. The second time, it was just an annoyance, rather than pain. I'd check it out. I hope it isn't severe. :grouphug:

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I've broken two toes (two different times.) I just wrapped it attached to the toe next to it and dealt with the pain (sandals & Motrin/Tylenol.) My in-laws were both paramedics and they said there isn't anything else a doctor could do. Now if it was my whole foot, then I'd go in. But after weeks and weeks the toe got better, and there don't seem to be any problems with them now.

[Barbara H]

 

Yep, my oldest son broke his toe last year and that was all they did. The taping does help though. Without it the toe takes longer to heal.

 

My advice if you go to the doctor, grab the tape out of their hands and tape it yourself. The orthopedist "buddy taped" my son's pinky toe and then billed $150 for an "in office procedure." Our insurance denied it because they didn't pre-approve it. Seriously, $150 for taping together two toes. It took several phone calls to get it resolved.

[Heather in Neverland]

Yep it's broken. Had X-rays this morning and it is broken near the top of the 5th metatarsal. They taped it, gave me crutches and ibuprofen and told me to stay off it for a week or so. The doctor said it sometimes takes up to 3 months to heal but it is not displaced so that's good.

 

Thanks for all the advice!!!

[Starr]

Nothing like that crack or crunch sound to let you know you broke something. I'm glad you're fixed up and hope you feel better soon. It took dh a long time for his toe to heal one summer.

[celticmom]

Another tip for broken toes/feet is to apply comfrey salve. I have found that very helpful in addition to taping, icing, rest, ect. I don't know whether you would be able to find it easily in another country though.

[LarlaB]

I'm so sorry- it has me wincing, just reading about it.

 

I broke my big toe and tore a ligament- just running across the lawn barefoot. Yes, that's how awesome I am..... (I've broken bones in the same foot, 3x)

 

Because of the ligament involvement, I was given crutches and only used them 2 weeks or so, and then buddy taped w/ cotton to the next toe- and then wrapped in an ace bandage for support (plus, an ace bandage is a very clear signal to keep people away from your foot).

 

It took weeks to heal, and it hurts for the first 1-2 weeks, then is just really tender etc. You're not a sissy- its trauma to your foot, possibly tissue as well- it hurts.