What to Do Broken Toe

Broken toes, especially the pinky, are common household injuries from jamming against chair and table legs and stumping against ajar doors.

What to Do for a Broken Toe

• Rest from sports, jumping and running activities for a month.
• Ice over the toe if it's swollen.
• Buy tables with recessed legs, push chairs in when not in use, and use door jams to prevent common toe fractures.
• Get a broken toe splint from a pharmacy or medical supply store. This is all you need for most broken toes. The splint straightens the injured toe and rests the broken ends so they can stick together.
• Use crutches the first weekend if your toe is really sore. Longer than that is unnecessary.
• Get an xray if the toe looks crooked. Most toe fractures just need a splint but a few are kinked enough to need surgical pinning in place.

Signs of a Broken Toe

• Tenderness along the toe bone.
• Soreness when you walk.
• Swelling above the broken toe.
• Bruising over the broken toe.
• A hard lump above the bone.

What a Broken Toe Looks Like

A broken toe most often looks like a normal toe. The best way to tell if you broke your toe is not by looking at your toe, but by looking for signs of a broken toe.

How long Does it Take to Heal a Broken Toe

A simple broken toe takes about 4-6 weeks to heal but usually feels pretty good to walk on by 2 weeks after the break.

Doctor Secrets! People with a broken toe often think it's not, and people without a broken toe often think it is. An xray is the only sure way to tell if you broke your toe.

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