What's the treatment for a broken big toe?

[fryalot]

dd1 has come home from school and I think that she's broken her toe.

If I take her to A & E with the two little ones, I'll have to wait for up to five hours; are they going to tell me that they won't do anything?

It's not that I don't care, coz I do, it's just.... if they're not going to do anything anyway, shall I just strap it up and leave her?

nhs direct is no help.

How about your GP?

can't get an appointment till tomorrow afternoon. I'm happy with this, but just worrying in case I should take her NOW, iykwim.

I expect they'll just strap it anyway - thats what they did when i broke mine.

they won't do anything for a broken digit (finger or toe). Like you sday, the best you can hope for is them strapping it to a neighbouring digit.

brilliant, thanks a lot. Will go and put tea on then.

the bones in fingers and toes are so small that casting them doesn't work (the tiny bones still have too much mobility under the plaster and so they don't fuse back together).

they did nothing for my broken 4th toe, but I think it might be different for the big toe.

DS1 broke his big toe playing football with no shoes on at school They just strapped it up, using the toe next to it as support. It healed pretty quickly, and we sent him to school in open toed beach shoes for a week or so (until it as comfortable to wear school shoes again) Hope your DD feels better soon.

Would get advice if it's the big toe though

If its the big toe I'm afraid it really should get x-rayed. I broke mine and thats what the doc said - they have to chack that the break hasn't gone into the joint. If its not into the joint then they just strap it, but if it is into the joint they need to re x-ray it to make sure its healing straight or it might need pinning.

yep that is true
I say this as someone who has done it...