Bruised or Boken, how can I tell...

[It's A Happy Day]

I fell off my steps this morning

Immediately I hobbled around crying and really thought I might have broken something in my foot - not to mention both knees were bleeding and I must have wacked my head on something because thats tender too. When I fell I landed on the big toe of my right foot and I can wiggle it down...painful but can do. But to bend it up is excruciating!!! I really do not want to go to the ER and have it X-rayed but am thinking that I might have to. It is more the foot part that is my concern not the toe. I know no one is a medical expert...especially w/o seeing the foot in question but... Has anyone broken a toe/foot before and does this sound like it's just a bad bruise?

 

[monsterkitty]

The only way to tell is x-rays.

 

[Barb D]

When DH broke his foot he thought he was OK at first...but later found out he'd broken 3 bones. Call your doctor.

 

[Beth76]

Yep, I would go to the ER or urgent care if you have one. My son jumped off some playground equipment onto mulch and hurt his foot. There was no bruise or swelling but he couldn't walk on it. The doc at the urgent care immediately thought it was broken even without swelling or bruising. Fortunately, the x-ray determined that it wasn't. You just can't tell for sure so better safe than sorry.

 

[Jennasis]

If it is your toe that is broken (it would be REALLY swollen and turning many shades of black and blue!) there isn't anything that can be done for it anyway (they can't set/cast it). But I would be inclinced to go to the ER anyway if you think you whacked your head but don't remember doing so!

 

[tink1978]

Yeah...if your foot hurts really badly...go to the ER. If it is just your toe...they will tell you that all you can do is tape it up and stabilize it...and then charge you $800 for the stuff they had to do.

 

[oxfordcircus]

Do Florsheims still have those x-ray machines? Maybe you could go to the shoe store for a freebie.

Seriously, I imagine your foot will determine for you whether you go see a doctor. If it's broken, the swelling will probably be severe, not to mention the pain of walking on it. Good luck to you.

 

[tinkerrn]

I tripped 3 weeks ago and still am having problems with my foot. I went to have it xrayed and they said it wasn't broken. I went ahead and made an appt. with an ortho who specializes in feet. I have kept it elevated, had an ace bandge wrapped around it and worn this sandal/boot thing. It hurts.

Go see a doctor. Keep your foot elevated and apply ice to it. Stay off of it. An ace wrap with also keep the swelling down and keep it stabilized.

 

[monsterkitty]

If your big toe is broken, they may cast it. It just depends on where the break is in the toe.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I broke my toe about 9 months ago...it hurt like hell...swollen beyond belief and badly bruised and eventually my nail fell off (yuck)...I have had major foot trouble over the years...surgeries, etc...so I guess I could tell it was broken (I didn't go to the Dr.) just hobbled around. I still cannot bend my toe all the way...there is really nothing they do with broken toes...I am rambling but if you feel more comfortable going to the doctor then go...just in case it is more serious...for your own peice of mind...

 

[#1MMFan]

Curious why you don't want to go to the ER. You can't be bothered? It costs money? Other reason?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You could hold off until morning and see your physician for urgent care. Save the ER visit for something else.

IF it is a broken toe, all they can really do is give you one of those special shoes that prevent the toes from flexing. They can't really splint it or anything.

Sorry that you hurt yourself and I hope it gets better soon.

 

[MichelleVW]

Curious why you don't want to go to the ER. You can't be bothered? It costs money? Other reason?

Personally I would have to be bleeding out my ears before I went to the ER. I broke my heel last summer in a bunch of pieces, I knew right away that something was broke....and still waited until the next day to go to a clinic...I would have waited hours and hours for the ER.....clinic got me right in!!


If it hurts really bad...the doc could give you some pain meds...but there's really nothing else they can do.....(I'm an xray tech and have seen many many broken toes over the years and all they do is give you a funky shoe or tape it up)

 

[faith]

In case insurance is a problem, remember to check with your own homeowners policy. Xrays may be covered? Hope you're better soon. Our daughter broke her ankle a year ago, and it was a diffuclt time with work, kids, etc!

 

[Hedy]

I've heard soo many stories of people who thought it was bruised or sprained, then found out it was broken, I'd push you towards the ER-sorry.

 

[minkydog]

Speaking as someone who fell and "sprained my ankle" on Thanksgiving day, my advice is go to the doctor. My sprained ankle turned out to be two separate fractures and a bunch of torn ligaments that might need surgery yet. I walked around on it 6 days figuring it was "just a sprain" and now it's really messed up. And let me tell you, you can't do anything fast when you're on crutches You will notice we leave for WDW in 26 days.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Curious why you don't want to go to the ER. You can't be bothered? It costs money? Other reason?

Insurance will cover everything for an ER visit but the deductible ($50) so it isn't the money. ER visits tend to take up ALOT of time and if it is broken I know alot of the times nothing can really be done anyway. I have a 4 & 5 year old at home & work retail so I don't have 4 or more hours to sit and wait. I was thinking about waiting 24 hours and calling my primary to see if she can just order the x-rays so I can bypass the ER if at all possible. Tonight it is turning some lovely colors and still alot of pain (I'm not one to take more than a Tylenol) so I will be making a call when the office opens in the AM. Better safe than sorry, right but I just get that feeling that even if it is they're just going to tell me to take it easy and not be able to do much else.

 

[Cool-Beans]

If it were just the toe, I'd say don't bother getting it checked. All they do with a broken toe is tape it to the next one. So, get some tape and save yourself the time and money.

If it is your foot, you should have it checked out. That's how you'll know and get it fixed properly.

If you don't want to do that, then don't.

 

[golfgal]

In case insurance is a problem, remember to check with your own homeowners policy. Xrays may be covered? Hope you're better soon. Our daughter broke her ankle a year ago, and it was a diffuclt time with work, kids, etc!

Your homeowners insurance will NOT cover injuries to yourself or your family members, that coverage is for GUESTS in your home if they get hurt, sorry.


Toes/feet can be a little tricky. The bones are really small and fractures don't always show up on an x-ray at first. Also, don't use swelling as a guide. If you broke something and didn't tear or stretch any soft tissue, you very well could have no swelling. Often with a broken toe, finger, etc. you will have a fairly well defined bruise at the base of the broken digit, almost like you took a marker and drew it on, usually about a day after the accident. It will then spread out but at first is is well defined.

Often for xrays of feet/hands the initial one won't show anything but if you go back in a week or two after it starts to heal, they can see the calcification starting and shows up as a brighter white then the surrounding bone. The ability to wiggle a toe or not is not a good indicator of a break or not.

Also, you don't need to go to the ER, call your regular dr, tell them what happened, they will make an appointment and have it looked at. It isn't a life or death situation so if you go in today at 4:00 is isn't going to make a difference.

 

[MichelleVW]

Insurance will cover everything for an ER visit but the deductible ($50) so it isn't the money. ER visits tend to take up ALOT of time and if it is broken I know alot of the times nothing can really be done anyway. I have a 4 & 5 year old at home & work retail so I don't have 4 or more hours to sit and wait. I was thinking about waiting 24 hours and calling my primary to see if she can just order the x-rays so I can bypass the ER if at all possible. Tonight it is turning some lovely colors and still alot of pain (I'm not one to take more than a Tylenol) so I will be making a call when the office opens in the AM. Better safe than sorry, right but I just get that feeling that even if it is they're just going to tell me to take it easy and not be able to do much else.

Good plan. There's not much they can do even if it is broke, but at least you'll know why it hurts so much!! I broke my 4th toe once pretty bad and omg it HURT, my foot was bruised about halfway down and my toe looked like a sausage. I work in a clinic and showed the xray to the ortho doc and he said, "tape it to the other toe" and that was it. It sure hurt though!!

I totally agree on not going to the ER due to the wait. Too many people abuse the ER, that's why the waits are so long...people going in for things that are by no means emergencies.

Hope your toe feels better...