broken toes....any experience/advice?

[Becaroooodolf]

ok, so...I fell down the stairs yesterday carrying a box of coat hangers - ouch!

Anyway, ended up at the bottom of said stairs in a big heap with both my feet sort of folded up under me - and I am heavy!!!

My big toe on my left foot and my little toe on my right foot are swollen and turning lovely shades of purple and black and it appears to be spreading up my foot. Also got a numb area under the toe on my right foot

I think they might be broken as I cant wriggle them and ma currently walking like a penguin....seriously!.....you try limping on both legs!!! Its hard!

If they are what should I be doing? Any point going to GP? Wouldnt they just strap them to the other toe?

WWYD?

Ooh you poor thing!
Well first I think you should see a doctor- do you have aminor injury unit locally? Then if nothing broken I think the usual advice is RICE it. Keep foot up and use cool packs on and off to reduce swelling, take pain killers and rest.
(I have only broken a little toe for which the RICE rule is advised I think big toes need to be checked)

Sorry RICE stands for rest, ice (except it means cool), compression, elevation. Ds was told to sleep with a pillow under his lower legs after a recent foot injury to acheive night time elevation.

If you have a numb area, you need to go to A&E, asap, as there is pressure on a nerve, and the blood supply might be compromised.

Go to your local minor injuries unit.

I had my son there a few weeks ago because of his toes. Our local authority thinking is that they will only x-ray big toes, unless there's a chance that other bones in your foot may be broken. If your big toe is broken then it may need supporting.

Hi all

Went to a&e last night as GP wouldnt even look at it.

Not sure of left foot is fractured...they will ring me later to day after someone else has checked the x ray Gave me some string painkillers though

The triage nurse said she had never seen such a badly bruised big toe!!!!

Glad you got it xrayed and hope it isn't broken.

I fractured my little toe but there was no treatment as such. I had a fabulous purple bruise across the whole of my foot and up towards my ankle and it hurt like hell for about a week.

They'll probably tell you to rest and ice it etc, but make sure you make the most of it......I whipped my socks off at every opportunity to show people!

I'm a HPC registered graduate podiatrist, you might find you get arthritis in that toe worse than the other foot when your older now. Patients who have broken toes often tell me the arthritis is worse in that joint than the other foot.