Any issue with your foot can impair your ability to move. Broken toes are one of the most common foot injuries that you can sustain. It can happen just by hitting it with something heavy or stubbing it on a hard surface.
At best, your injury can cause pain but can be remedied at home. However, there are worse cases in which you might need to seek the help of a foot doctor.
If you happen to have broken toes, you should know how to deal with them the proper way. Keep reading to know more.
Tips for Dealing with Broken Toes
Assess the Situation
The first thing you should do is to check how serious the injury is. Remember, your toes may seem like minor parts of your feet but they play an important role in your balance and posture. Inspecting the injury can help you describe the issue to your general practitioner.
You can start by checking if there are any visible signs of the injury. This can come in the form of swelling, bruising, wounds, crooked position, or the appearance of bone. You should also determine which toe is affected, as well as the level of pain you are feeling.
Make sure to provide such information to your doctor, so they can give proper advice. Broken toes are often treatable at home when minor, but severe cases require specialist help. If the big toe is affected, medical care is definitely required.
Implement Home Remedies
Say, you gave your general physician a call and they decided that it is a minor case. You should make sure that you correctly get the instructions for home remedies. This can help you relieve the pain and facilitate proper healing of the affected toe.
One of the most common ways to treat a broken toe is to ice the swelling part. This can help relieve the pain and swelling. Another way is to tape the affected toe to the one next to it. This is called buddy taping and it helps keep the injured toe in the right position for healing.
Your doctor can also advise you to take painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen if the pain is too much to bear.
Go to a Podiatry Clinic
What you should remember is that home remedies are applicable only if the injury is minor. Any injury to the big toe, or crookedness, wounds, or bones that are sticking out requires professional help. Your podiatrist can help deal with the problem to help your toes heal properly.
Treatment can include getting a foot x-ray to determine how serious the break is and the next step. You might go home with a cast, but If your doctor finds broken-off pieces of bone, you might need to undergo surgery.
Keep Pressure Off the Affected Toe
After implementing home remedies, you need to wait for at least four to six weeks for the injury to heal. It is best that to keep pressure off your toes as much as possible. The best choice is to refrain from walking or running.
If you cannot avoid moving around, take care not to put your entire weight on the foot where the injured toe is. Refraining from wearing shoes is also the best move, but, if necessary, look for footwear with more room and stiff bottoms.
Final Say
A broken toe may not seem like a big issue, but it can bring huge changes to your mobility when not healed properly. If you are not sure how to proceed, make sure to consult your podiatrist to get the right treatment.
