Anyone ever broken their little toe?

[Fairenuff]

Happened a couple of weeks ago and I can walk with a flat foot but it hurts to bend it.

Has anyone ever had this? How long should it take to heal roughly and do I need to see a gp? My understanding is that they don't do much for a little toe.

It's not bent or damaged in any way. It's bruised at the base but no swelling.

Have you taped it to the next toe? It took my a few months to be totally pain free but I walk slightly awkwardly so that could have impacted on healing.

Hi Fairenuff, first of all you have my sympathies. I have broken 3 toes (all at different times). My experience was that no one cared in the least, colleagues thought it was terribly funny and medics had zero interest. One toe was broken in 3 places (I eventually paid privately for an x-ray), took a couple of months to heal and is completely bent to this day. I have no medical training so this is just what I did.

My advice is (1) strap it to toe next to it. Maybe nurse at your GPs could help with this. Hospitals don't have time for broken toes in my experience. (2) expect it to hurt/throb for 2 weeks, heal in 6 weeks. (3) get a cardboard box for sleeping, cut an opening for your foot and keep your foot in the box with bedcovers on top, this stops your toe being hurt during the night.

The more you protect your toe in first couple of weeks the faster it will heal.

Ouch West your poor toe sounds much worse than mine. I say it's broken but now I'm wondering if it actually is because it doesn't hurt unless I accidentally bend it but then it hurts like hell.

Other than that it's just sort of tingly now and again. I can't wear shoes but can wear a sock and it doesn't hurt in bed.

I haven't strapped it because it's not at all bent and I can sort of walk or hobble about on the rest of my foot at the moment.

Slight complication - I'm flying in 18 days. Is there anything I need to know to prepare for that? I keep thinking it's just a tiny little bone so it doesn't need treatment.

I'm gutted that it might be months before it's properly healed though.

Ahhh I did mine yesterday on my sofa!!! It's black and the same as you can't walk or bend it.

When I try to move it though, it feels like there's a lump under my toe-top of my foot. But there isn't it's just so swelled.

Strap them together and try move it as much as possible. If it's swelled ice bag.

It takes a good few months to be pain free, I've broken my little toes before. In fact the toe I've just broken has only just healed about 2 week ago from breaking it before!!!

Hope it's sorted soon OP.

6-8 weeks to heal. Mine hurt for about 2-3 weeks. I couldn’t wear shoes but was ok in sandals or flip flops. Luckily I broke it in the summer.
The swelling went down quickly after a couple of days.

OP I've just fractured an ankle and torn a calf muscle and I fly 27 hours next week.
You should be fine but try and elevate it. I just bought a thing called Fly Legs Up which helps to do that. Might be worth looking into if you are long haul.

Yes earlier this year. I had mine x-rayed at the hospital because it was at a very odd angle. There were two bad breaks. By the next day is was very swollen and bruised. I strapped it for about 8 weeks in the end before I could get back to walking virtually pain fee and in proper shoes! I'm about 5 months post break now and walking long distances still makes it ache and cold weather makes it ache too!

Hope it feels better soon!

Hi, flying should be absolutely fine, just be aware it may swell a little so once on the plane wear nice loose socks. I remember wearing my DHs socks and trainers at one point. Mine usually were healed in 6 weeks, one went to 3 months but only because it was constantly being bumped as I went up and downstairs on my bottom carrying a newborn . To be in the safe side treat it very carefully as if broken (if it's strapped it will stop it bobbing around, it doesn't have to be bent for strapping to give it a little security) and if it is not broken and heals in a week or two all the better.

You need to steal it to the adjoining toe. Sounds a very straightforward break. Will probably be a few months before you are free of pain but it will lessen. Toes constantly move when you walk so even strapped to the next toe there is still generally some movement. Shoes are hard, wear ones that account for any initial swelling, don’t cause any more pain than necessary (you don’t want that area of your foot squished in by the shoe) but you do need it protected. Good luck.

*strap it

Thanks everyone.

Ok I will strap it as that seems to be what most people recommend.

I'm luckily off work anyway at the moment so am just barefoot at home. I can wear sandals as long as they don't press on my toe so will be fine until mid September at least.

To strap it, do I just literally tape it to the toe next to it or should I put cotton wool or something inbetween?

Don't want to tempt fate but this is the first bone I've ever broken so am pretty clueless about these things.

Am flying somewhere warm but shorthaul so will wear sandals on the plane.

There was no swelling at all, not even initially, just a bruise so I'm hoping it will heal fast.

I put a bit of wadding between my toes (suspect I broke my little toe four weeks ago) before strapping them together. Mine is loads better now, hurts when sat on by my 3yo or if squashed into more fitted shoes. Fine in sandals and walking shoes now, and a massive improvement in the last week. It's no longer strapped but still sore if bent though. Key is, it's just sore rather than agonising.

I've strapped it and it does help to make me feel less wary about accidentally bumping it. But I didn't put any wadding as it sits snuggly up to the next toe anyway and it won't matter if I get it wet.

Will see how it goes.

6-8 weeks to heal

I broke mine on the evening of dh Christmas do

When i was over 8 months pregnant

Not only did i look like a ship in full sail...but i had to wear his trainers as my foot had swollen up so much

And i rang him at work and asked him to come home and he didnt cos he didnt think id broken it

And no im not bitter...

Anyway i hope yours gets better soon

I did mine on 10 June this year on the day we got back from holiday. I have been able to wear shoes for a short time this week. It's been really hot here in Belgium, so I've been living in fitflops. It has finally stopped hurting (twinges at times still,), but I am no longer at the permanently sweary stage. It hurt to drive, and I spent the first week coming downstairs on my bum. I couldn't bear even the duvet being on it.

I didn't strap it, as I couldn't bear to touch it, or have anyone else touch it.

I’ve broken both my little toes a few times. Generally not too badly but I always tape the little toe to the next one for a few weeks. If I untape too soon then it feels all draggy and achy.

Didn’t look after right little toe when I broke it for the first time and it didn’t mend properly

• you can pull it out at a really odd angle

Bookmarking - smacked mine into a chair leg a month ago and it's still sore!

I broke mine in April. It's still sore if I knock it or catch it on something. I could only wear my sketchers for about 8 weeks. I strapped it to my other toe and that was about it. Didn't bother with an X-ray or dr/hospital as it was my little toe.