It fucking hurts, any advice appreciated!

[Ouchmytoehurts]

I posted on here for advice when it happened but I’ve namechanged since then and can’t find the thread now!

about 6 ish weeks ago I stubbed my toe really badly. It hurt so much (much more than a normal toestubbing) and was bruised badly and swollen that night. Weirdly it didn’t really hurt badly to walk unless I put excessive pressure on it, and the pain was on the upper side of the toe rather than the lower side that touches the ground when walking. I couldn’t really bend it or move it either. I presumed I’d damaged it in some way, but I had a showjumping competition coming up and had to ride my horse so I just took some paracetamol and ignored the pain. I also didn’t want to go to a doctor as it’s just a toe and there’s nothing they can do anyway (from what I’ve heard)

but it’s still so sore now! It aches like mad every night and it randomly hurts throughout the day too. It was 6 weeks ago so i would have expected it to be better by now even if u had damaged it. I can bend it now but it hurts so much to do it. Is there anything I can do to make it heal faster or speed up a bit? Fed up of it now!

I'd probably go and see about getting it x-rayed just to be sure what's actually happened to it.

Ibuprofen might help more than paracetamol as it will calm any inflammation on the muscles and joints

I think if I were in your shoes (haha I’ll see myself out), I would work on gently(!) be moving and stretching your toe. It’s been 6 weeks and a break would have set by now.

this is going to sound stupid, but it works. Write the alphabet with your toe. Walk as normal as you can. Rest it in between and take ibuprofen for the pain.

Think of yourself in ‘rehab” with it now.

I’ve broken a toe and it really sucks. Nothing really to do except give it time.

Even if it was broken, there's not much they can do after 6weeks.

Sounds like it was broken. My broken toe took 10 weeks to heal, several weeks before the swelling subsided enough to get normal shoes on. After 5-6 months it still occasionally flared up if I did exercise.

My dh broke his toe on our oldest High chair. He didn't see anyone but really should've as he's t1 diabetic. But he just went about as normal and it healed.

It is probably broken. Usual treatment is taping it to the next toe or toes for support. Paracetamol is basically a placebo. Try Advil or another ibuprofen based painkiller.

Says she who has broken multiple toes on multiple occasions.

PS - don’t tell your family it is broken - within 3 hours, my brother stepped back and stepped on my toe, my very young and adorable niece jumped on it and my mum dropped a suitcase on it. I’m reasonably certain nobody did it on purpose but still!!!!

I think seeing the doctor is the way to go. People on the Internet can't tell. You need someone who knows what they are talking about to look at it and tell you if there's anything they can do. While there isn't much doctors normally do for a broken toe, that isn't the only thing that could have happened and when a break is severe or mends poorly a cast or even surgery may be warranted.

I broke my toe as a kid and still wince at the memory of the pain. You have my full sympathies! No advice other than to say elevating it when in bed made enough of a difference that I could actually get to sleep. Hope you’re healed up again very soon xx

It's a myth about nothing able to be done about broken toes. It depends on the location and type of fracture. From what you are describing, it could very well be a metatarsal fracture. They often require surgery, or at the very least manipulation and cast/boot while it heals. You need to go to A&E for an x ray.

A metatarsal is the foot, not the toe. I’ve broken one of those, too. You are right that that would probably require a visit to the Hospital but OP said the pain was in her toe, not foot. From her description, I think a broken toe is more likely. (Not a doctor or internet expert)

I’ve broken all toes in one foot. My big toe still aches at times years later. The hospital btw said a big toe should always be xrayed.