How can you tell if a toe is Broken?

[Aragorn]

Darwin tried to take control on the steps this morning and I think I may have broken a couple of toes.

Big toe on one foot has a constant throb and the slight purple bruising extends back into the foot for around three inches.

The one that concerns me is the fourth toe over on the other foot. It is kind of numb and totally purple and swollen. Both toes hurt and throb like a ************ but I can stand it. I am now walking like one of Tim Conway's old man characters.

Usually when something like this happens it is only on one foot but today both feet got bit.

Going to see a Doctor for this is usually a $600-$1,000 proposition for me (couple of visits and x-rays.) Like I said the pain is bearable but I don't want to risk something I am not thinking of. Can't go to the quickcare until after work though.

Opinions? Suggestions? Comments?

[stomachmonkey]

Not much a doc will do for a toe other than tape them together so why bother.

Wait for Tobra to show up since that is his area of expertise and not mine.

[GH85Carrera]

The best way to know if they are broken is to have an x-ray.

That is an expensive way to know for sure.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The best way to know if they are broken is to have an x-ray.

That is an expensive way to know for sure.

Usually a $600-$1,000 proposition for x-ray for me in the past (out of pocket because of insurance deductible.) Will probably get a script for something like Oxy or Hydro which I can't stand to take either.

Tried taping the little one up but it started to hurt because it is still swelling.

This is going to be a long day.

[Evans, Marv]

Have you tried the alternating hot/cold soaking to try to reduce the swelling & pain. If not, it might be worth a try. Good luck. If it does get worse, I hope you bite the bullet & see a doc.

[manbridge 74]

I didn't tape mine and now it lists at about a 30 degree angle. Cosmetic issue....

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Not much a doc will do for a toe other than tape them together so why bother.

Wait for Tobra to show up since that is his area of expertise and not mine.

^^^ this. A big ol' log fell off the wood splltter and onto my big toe (and adjacent toes) back in July (I was an idiot, and not wearing boots either ), so that ended my day of splitting wood....I immediately stopped working and iced it down. Sure it hurt, but I didn't really think it was broken, since I was still getting around OK and it didn't swell up and throb like a SOB. I determined that after 6-8 weeks of healing that I had broken it....doc couldn't have done a thing. Funny thing is, this was behind the big toenail, and it didn't even discolor (much less lose it). I determined it was broken after about 4 weeks. NOW half my toenail is still black/blue as it continues to grow out

[Shaun @ Tru6]

[IROC]

I won't post pictures of what I did to my toes last summer. Moral of the story - don't wash the car in bare feet and then walk into the garage (with wet feet) and slip and ram two toes on your right foot into an immovable object at a high rate of speed.

[Aragorn]

The only thing I can do for the next couple of hours (my clock must of stopped because it says it is only 12:35) is elevate it and watch it turn more purple. In a few short hours I be done with work and can go home (I think I drove today...that might hurt a little) and ice it down and try and tape it up again.

Shaun, was that some kind of interrogation technique? "Is it safe..."

Marathon Man (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Tobra]

That is actually a pretty neat trick to reduce a dislocated toe Shaun.

Where and when exactly does it hurt? For the 4th toe, I would probably get it reduced(straightened) as much as possible then wrap it to the 3rd toe. I like to use coban/vet wrap for this. 1 inch wide is what you are after, it is elastic, self adherent tape. Wrap around injured toe for a little compression, then go around 3rd toe and wrap them together. Is the purple toe pointing the right direction?

The big toe is a more serious concern. If you have pain in the joint when you try to move it, you may have an intra-articular fracture, which is something you really want to fix. Where are you, maybe I know someone local to you. No way you would be out more than a couple hundred bucks for something like that in my office, unless I gave you a big boot or something. Ice will help you out on the pain and swelling, 15 minutes at a time

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

T
Shaun, was that some kind of interrogation technique? "Is it safe..."

It worked beautifully for me! Give it a try.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by Tobra

That is actually a pretty neat trick to reduce a dislocated toe Shaun.

Where and when exactly does it hurt? For the 4th toe, I would probably get it reduced(straightened) as much as possible then wrap it to the 3rd toe. I like to use coban/vet wrap for this. 1 inch wide is what you are after, it is elastic, self adherent tape. Wrap around injured toe for a little compression, then go around 3rd toe and wrap them together. Is the purple toe pointing the right direction?

The big toe is a more serious concern. If you have pain in the joint when you try to move it, you may have an intra-articular fracture, which is something you really want to fix. Where are you, maybe I know someone local to you. No way you would be out more than a couple hundred bucks for something like that in my office, unless I gave you a big boot or something. Ice will help you out on the pain and swelling, 15 minutes at a time

Thanks for the info. I wish I lived closer to you. My Doc usually charges around $250 per visit and usually does around 1 to 2 follow-ups. It's not that I don't like seeing him. It's just that his visits usually drain my car fund.

The purple toe is pointing forward but is developing blood blisters around to toenail and bottom. It is the one that is hurting the most.

This is the second time in the last year that the big toe has been bent back and bruised. I see the little shooting stars when i bump into something or try and bend it. It is a more steady throbbing pain then little purple fella.

If I can walk semi-well on my way to my car, I was thinking of just using ice and tape on them both tonight and see if the pain has subsided by tomorrow.

[Tobra]

If you have blisters forming, it is probably broken. Try not to pop the blisters.

I would caution you about using tape. If the toe swells while taped up, it could compromize the circulation. A stiff soled shoe will probably be more comfortable, unless you can only put open toed shoes on right now. If the toenail is black and toe is throbbing, you can probably get some relief by draining it. I take a red hot paper clip and just touch the nail, do NOT push. It melts the nail, lets the blood out and relieves the pressure. One concern with a fracture at the tip of the nail, is that you can damage the nail bed and effectively have an open fracture, which is not good.

On the big toe, if you bent it back forcefully, you may have cracked one of the little bones that are between the 1st metatarsal and the ground. This would hurt on the bottom of the foot.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by Tobra

If you have blisters forming, it is probably broken. Try not to pop the blisters.

...

On the big toe, if you bent it back forcefully, you may have cracked one of the little bones that are between the 1st metatarsal and the ground. This would hurt on the bottom of the foot.

Thanks again for the all the responses.

The toenail on my little toe seems to to be OK. The toe is purple up to the tip of the nail and then it is red. I kind of feel that this little piggy is broken.

The pain, outside of throbbing, on my big toe seems to be more when I try and bend it back or up, but if I put any weight on it while standing there is also pain.

Elevating both feet has helped with some of the pain.

I will hold off on the taping until the swelling has started to go down.

[Tobra]

As I say, there is some elastic, self adherent tape that will work very well for your purposes. If you have a feed store nearby, pick up some vet wrap. Elevation will help with the swelling and the pain.

[Rikao4]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

It worked beautifully for me! Give it a try.

I'm sure it did but..
there's Video of some guy doing dental extraction using Bow & Arrow..

me as a kid..
tooth and door knob..
thankfully the string broke..

Rika

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by KC911

... Funny thing is, this was behind the big toenail, and it didn't even discolor (much less lose it). I determined it was broken after about 4 weeks. NOW half my toenail is still black/blue as it continues to grow out

Originally Posted by Tobra

....If the toenail is black and toe is throbbing, you can probably get some relief by draining it. I take a red hot paper clip and just touch the nail, do NOT push. It melts the nail, lets the blood out and relieves the pressure. ....

Question for ya doc....would this have helped several months after I broke mine? By the time my toe had healed (probably 8 weeks), the toenail was still clear...then later the black/blue portion slowly began to appear at the base of the toenail, then proceeded to "grow forward" (if that makes sense) until it was approx. half of the nail. It certainly wasn't comfortable and had me a bit hobbled for 2-3 more months after the break had healed. I debated using the technique you describe with a hot needle but never did. Even though the nail is still half blue, I no longer feel any pressure/pain, so I'm just asking for when I break my next one

ps: I almost posted to ask you about this a few months ago....how far does the toenail extend behind the part you see? I was pretty surprised when the nail behaved in that fashion.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by rikao4

me as a kid..
Tooth and door knob..
Thankfully the string broke..

Rika

ouch!

[Schumi]

I broke my big toe once. You could tell because it was no longer attached to my foot after the 4 foot sheet of plate glass was done with it.


Yep, I spared PPOT from those photos.