A broken or fractured toe can be very painful, especially if spend a lot of time on your feet. In most cases, a broken toe is caused by dropping a bulky object on the foot. Another common way to break a toe is to ram your foot into the edge of a piece of furniture.
Playing sports or even wearing certain types of shoes can also result in a broken toe. In most cases, when a person breaks their toe, the treatment is to tape it to the adjacent digit until it heals. If several toes have been broken, a cast or surgery may be required to correct the injury. When a big toe has been broken or if there is damage to the joint as well as a broken toe, more complex treatments may be required.
Regardless of how your toe was broken, you should know the signs of a broken digit, so it can be treated properly.
1. Pain
Breaking a bone is ordinarily an unpleasant experience. Sometimes, a broken bone will only present with mild discomfort. In most cases, a broken bone will cause pain in the injured area. Depending on the severity of the break, there may be waves of pain that prevent a person from moving the injured area at all. If a broken bone doesn’t break the skin, and the pain level is moderate to mild, it may be hard to understand that medical attention may be needed.
Placing pressure on the injured area can cause intense pain. Chronic pain that comes and goes is also common with broken toe and foot injuries. Broken toes on the end of the foot, such as the pinkie toe may be more painful than others. This toe is more exposed to the pressure of walking and also has a tendency to swell more than other digits. Broken big toes are also very painful.