Possible broken big toe---do they do anything.

[Krischaser]

I think I might have broke my big toe. The bottom of my nail is blue and it is sore. Do they do anything for it? It isn't bent funny or anything.
Thanks!

 

[rebeccalb10]

They may tape the toe together with the next toe - "buddy taping". They may also put you in a walking boot to take the pressure off while you walk.

 

[Suz D]

I think I might have broke my big toe. The bottom of my nail is blue and it is sore. Do they do anything for it? It isn't bent funny or anything.
Thanks!

You could have just damaged the nail bed. I did that when I slammed my bare toe into a super heavy duty patio chair. Hurt like the dickens! Hurt for weeks. I ultimately lost my toenail but that wasn't as bad as it sounds. It was about 9 months later and my toe nail just grew out long enough that it sort of fell off on it's own. No pain involved, it was just kind of sickening to see (no blood or anything, just seemed like a yucky thing). My toenail is totally normal now.

 

[NYCDiane]

I broke my big toe a few years back. There's not much they can do other than (like the previous poster said) tape it to the next toes and possibly give you a boot.

I didn't do anything. I had no medical coverage. I knew it was broken --- a narrow box with a huge disassembled wall unit fell directly on it -- but there wasn't anything I could do. I just limped for a few days and then it slowly went back to normal.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I broke my pinky toe 2 years ago. You would think, no big deal, for that little toe, right? I slammed into a piece of furniture. The pain was so severe, I fell to the ground, and felt like I might throw up. It eased slightly, but if I touched it, that feeling returned. Swollen and bruised instantly.

I got the Xray, to confirm it, to know what to expect, how long to recover, etc. I found the stiff shoe they gave me to be extremely helpful. They did wrap it, but that hurt too.

I went to a podiatrist. 2 years later, it aches sometimes, and it hurts in tightish shoes. Could be worse, of course. My point is, I have broken my toe and hand in the last 2 years, and in my case, for both, the pain was pretty severe. (with the hand, I head the loud crack too)

 

[Jey12]

Ouch! Like a PP said tape it to the next toe and maybe get a walking boot to relieve pressure. I broke my pinky toe last year and it was awful. Thankfully it was warm out and I could wear flip flops until the swelling and pain went down. I was always told nothing else you can do but tape it to the neighboring toe and keep on walking.

 

[Swimalie]

My husband broke his toe chasing a bad guy while he was a police officer. The PD took him to the ER where some doctor shook his toe and asked if it hurt. Of course it did. The doctor told him his toe was broken and to go home. So, nope, nothing they can really do. My husband eventually lost the lower portion of his toe which caused the new, lower half to grow in around the old, upper half and caused a lot of pain and he had to have surgery to fix that but it wasn't that bad.

 

[Judique]

My husband broke his toe chasing a bad guy while he was a police officer. The PD took him to the ER where some doctor shook his toe and asked if it hurt. Of course it did. The doctor told him his toe was broken and to go home. So, nope, nothing they can really do. My husband eventually lost the lower portion of his toe which caused the new, lower half to grow in around the old, upper half and caused a lot of pain and he had to have surgery to fix that but it wasn't that bad.

Sounds bad to me!

 

[beansmom]

my dh, who is a doctor, says 'not really'. They don't do anything for broken toes really...

 

[Suz D]

Can you move it? I would think that would be a good indicator of whether it's broken or just a damaged nail bed?

 

[tinkermom23]

I broke my big toe about 2 yrs ago. The Dr. gave me a boot to walk in for a few weeks. Problem is that it didn't heal straight and now I have to wear an orthotic in my shoes! The big toe on your "lead foot" (my right foot) actually controls your stride, your gait, how you walk... I started walking differently which caused my hip to hurt. Ugh, all because of a stupid toe! I'd say to get it checked out if you think it's broken.

 

[hsmamato2]

I broke my 2nd toe in a few weeks ago by dropping something heavy (and sharp!) on it.....it hurt like heck, and I kept it wrapped to the next toe over,and walked REALLY carefully for 2 weeks....it is amazing how much you appreciate your toes after breaking one! And No,I don't think there's much they can do for you unless it needs setting.....after 2 weeks I could remove the bandage/wrap, but I still treat it carefully.....it's sore

 

[POOHsie]

I broke my second toe when I was a teenager, and it hurt for a long time. Lucky it was summer and I could get around in light shoes or sandals. But it was more than 2 years before it stopped hurting.

 

[Iamthequeen]

I broke my pinky toe twice - you would know if your toe was broken because it hurts like the dickens. The first time I broke it, I had x-rays since that was the first time I ever broke any bone, just to be sure. The doctor said there was not much they could do, buddy taped it to the next toe and gave me a walking shoe. It took about 4 weeks for it to heal. Then about a year after that, I broke it again. This time I just buddy taped it myself. It seemed to heal faster the 2nd time, but it still aches occasionally.

 

[Swimalie]

Sounds bad to me!

It could have been worse. And he did get the bad guy whom he was chasing (car and on foot) for stealing a car

 

[grafxgirl]

When I was a teenager the Oak door from my entertainment center fell off the hinges and broke 3 toes on my right foot. Last year I broke my big toe two times! The same big toe! Nothing can be done except tape and flip flops because my toe and the top part of my foot was so swollen I couldn't wear regular shoes. Don't forget the Motrin for pain.

 

[Krischaser]

Thanks everyone. Today the swelling is almost totally gone and it doesn't hurt as bad so I am thinking that I might not have broken it but just hurt it enough to make it feel and look like I did.

 

[aubriee]

I feel for you. My right big toe is broken right now. The whole toe and just a little up into the side of my foot is black, blue, and puffy and hurts like the dickens. (you never know how much your opposite heel accidentally touches your big toe until that big toe gets broken and every little touch make you cringe in pain.) I'm a nurse, so had our unit doctor look at it. She confirmed it was broken, but said there wasn't much to do for it. This is like the third time, I've broken that same dang toe.