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Original poster

Who's broken their little toe ?

65 replies

toepain · 21/12/2023 20:55

I smashed my toes off a wooden toy box earlier on, I was climbing over it at the time and that's how I managed to whack my foot. Bloody hurt as stubbing your toes always does.
But now it's throbbing, looks slightly swollen and I'm hobbling about. I've had a feel and it's the base of the toe where it's most painful, I can move it but it is painful.
It especially hurts if I try and lift my toes up. Also strangely it hurts if I lift my entire foot off the ground slightly, could this be a slight fracture or just bruised it ? I know nothing can be done if it is broken.
Never had this off stubbing toes before though it's really painful.

OP posts:
annonymousse · 21/12/2023 22:22

I slipped on the stairs and bashed little toe against the wall. It really hurt but I put my boots on and hobbled off to work. By the evening when I took said boots off the whole toe and side of my foot were black. It shut DH up - he was calling me a drama queen for moaning about the pain.

vipersnest1 · 21/12/2023 22:29

Yy, buddy tape it to the toe next door (add some cushioning between - it can be a folded up plaster or even a piece of kitchen roll) and wear shoes with a wide toe box if you need to wear shoes at all.
It's not the weather for it but sandals that don't press on your toe would be even better.
Take paracetamol and ibuprofen on a strict regime for the next few days until any swelling has gone down.

BobnLen · 21/12/2023 22:35

Don't be surprised if your foot swells in the area and a bruise stretches all down that side of foot, mine was the one next to my little toe.

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General health
snatchabook · 21/12/2023 22:55

I think if it's warm it might be worth seeing the GP in case it's infected

QuestionableMouse · 21/12/2023 22:58

snatchabook · 21/12/2023 22:55

I think if it's warm it might be worth seeing the GP in case it's infected

Unlikely to be infected - warm can be a sign of swelling over an injury!

TrishTrix · 21/12/2023 23:03

A couple of times. It really bloody hurt.

First time I got it XR'd. The bruising on my foot was really impressive - blood had obviously tracked down from the toe into the soft tissue.

I was advised not to buddy strap as it was likely to pull it out of alignment due to my foot anatomy.

Second time I didn't bother with an XR.

Both times I carried on walking/ working in my biggest / most comfortable shoes (and I'm not a martyr. I had 6 weeks off when I injured my dominant wrist.

Gilead · 21/12/2023 23:03

regularly! Strap it to the toe next to it and take ibuprofen.

OriginalFloorboards · 21/12/2023 23:09

Twice the little one and currently the big one thanks to my horse. Occupational hazard.

First time I got it x-rayed as foot all ballooned up. Second time didn’t bother. Was back in the saddle around 10 days (worse bit was stairs or trotting).

This time I hobbled about but continued doing everything including mucking out and was in the saddle after 4 days.

But what I would say is get it checked as sister did her meta-something and that was a carry on…although she doesn’t do pain well so it might just have been her doing the dramatics.

NotMyFinestMoment · 21/12/2023 23:12

Yes me too and it was incredibly painful at the time. I also have some stiffness in that toe now.

I don't think there is much that can be done if it's a straight forward non-displaced fracture, however, it might be worth a quick x-ray to check. Your GP can give you a letter to walk in to X-ray during their normal opening hours which is convenient and super fast compared to A&E.

Wear comfortable shoes with a lot of space around the toes, and painkillers are your friend. It will settle within 2-3 weeks.

BorrowersAreVermin · 21/12/2023 23:19

Fell down the stairs and caught my little toe on a bannister on the way down. I went to hospital because it was twisted at an odd angle but there's not a lot they can do. The pain made getting around awkward for a couple of weeks. Although it's still a bit twisted it hasn't caused any issues.

Backhometothenorth · 21/12/2023 23:25

Yes wedged it against an angled skirting board at speed. Was sickeningly painful for a day or so and went black and blue. Could walk after a couple of days and was generally ok by day 10. But I love to swim and I couldn't do that for about 4 weeks as it really hurt!

Goneback2school · 21/12/2023 23:28

Yes, years ago. I kicked the doorframe. My little toe was swollen, bruised and sore for about a week. I had to have flip-flops on for the first few days. Then last week I kicked the door frame with my other foot but only ripped off half my little toe nail!

GuiltyPleasure · 21/12/2023 23:28

Yes several times and it's incredibly painful.
I dislocated it once as well and needed to go to hospital to have it pulled back into place.
(That one was actually quite interesting because an X-ray showed I don't have the normal amount of joints in my toes).
Aside from that I usually just strap it, wear the comfiest shoes I can and wait till the bruising goes down

CatsMother66 · 22/12/2023 00:05

During lockdown I stumbled at the bottom of the stairs and slammed my foot into the bottom stair and heard my toe crack.
A quick goggle said that nothing was to be done with it other than be patient.
Staying in and walking around the house bare foot was fine but I found that it became incredibly painful and unbearable if I put anything other than one pair of boots on to go out and it continued like that for about three to four months, luckily it was winter and boots were fine.
It continued to be painful on occasions for over a year if I remember correctly.

suki1964 · 22/12/2023 00:13

Dropped a gas bottle from a Superser heater on mine one night, went clubbing , weren't till the following morning and sober did I realise , but had to work.

The original pain eased soon enough but for a few years after felt pain in toes when the cold weather came on

RosesAndHellebores · 22/12/2023 00:16

Yes. Same as everyone else. Very painful, swelled, turned black and blue which stretched under my foot. Hurt like hell for a couple of weeks. DS was a toddler and luckily I had an old wooden pair of Dr Scholls which meant I could walk as they were so rigid.

I showed a Dr friend about a week later and she said "yeah, with that much bruising, that's broken - nothing can be done".

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 22/12/2023 01:24

First time I went to minor injuries and they said if it’s not displaced then they don’t do anything except buddy strap it. Second time I just buddy strapped it myself.

coxesorangepippin · 22/12/2023 02:39

I did this years ago. Didn't go to the docs, wish I had as it sometimes still hurts

MoonlightMemories · 22/12/2023 03:38

I have unfortunately, both little toes - quite strangely exactly a year between breaking each one. One was walking into the corner of a wall coming out of my bedroom, and the other time I just point blank walked into a doorframe coming out of the bathroom in the early morning hours. Nearly fainted on both occasions - the toes full displaced both times at a right angle and I then nearly fainted again popping them back into place (especially the 2nd time where the break was so bad it just popped right out again 😭).

There's not a whole lot you can do other than buddy taping/wrapping them to the next toe with a bit of gauze or similar padding between them to help keep them in place, trying to stay off the affected foot and following RICE to help with the pain and swelling, regular pain relief etc. Both times I had to take a week off work because the swelling (I couldn't get any shoes on!) and pain was so bad and was still quite painful for a few more weeks/months afterwards. A number of years on and they still give me a bit of grief every so often.

garlictwist · 22/12/2023 05:39

OriginalFloorboards · 21/12/2023 23:09

Twice the little one and currently the big one thanks to my horse. Occupational hazard.

First time I got it x-rayed as foot all ballooned up. Second time didn’t bother. Was back in the saddle around 10 days (worse bit was stairs or trotting).

This time I hobbled about but continued doing everything including mucking out and was in the saddle after 4 days.

But what I would say is get it checked as sister did her meta-something and that was a carry on…although she doesn’t do pain well so it might just have been her doing the dramatics.

Yes, breaking your metatarsals are a different matter. They require immobilisation and proper healing. Especially if it's the fifth or a Jones fracture as they are very slow to heal.

Oppositioblue · 22/12/2023 07:19

Yes and it’s really painful. I’ve done it more than once. The worst time I did it was wearing flip flops on a tiled floor. Flip flops were the style between your big and next toe. The bit where the toes were sitting scuffed the tiled floor and the rubber turned under itself as my foot moved forward. Broke 3 of my 5 toes. Agony.

Timspam · 22/12/2023 07:22

Hi. I'd get it checked out, I did that and ignored it and my toe healed set straight so it doesn't bend anymore. The amount of times this is a problem is terrible and if I stub that toe now it's ridiculous painful lol

Walkden · 22/12/2023 07:43

Stubbed mine against a coffee table leg and once the pain eased I noticed it was at a 45 degree angle. Pushed it with my little finger and it seemed to click back in.
Not sure if you can dislocate a toe so figured it was broken but thought no point going to a and e because I assumed they would only strap it to the next toe for a few weeks. Was swollen and tender for a week's but seems ok now

starfishmummy · 22/12/2023 08:33

I know that in many cases it just has to be strapped up, bit I'd still get ot checked out in case the bones are displaced or it's dislocated.

And I've broken a toe and no bruising.

CatsMother66 · 22/12/2023 08:43

Just to add, since walloping my little toe, the nail has thickened which I assume is down to me damaging the nail bed.