dd1 has hurt her foot - how can I tell whether it's a sprain or a fracture?

[geekgirl]

dd1 was racing about in the garden barefoot and bent her toes underneath her foot very hard - she is in a lot of pain and can't put any weight on the foot. She can do a barely visible toe wiggle. There's no swelling and the only bruising I can see right now is on one of the toes.
Does that mean it's just a sprain?
I do hope so - we're at my parents right now and things are hard enough really, and I left our E111 cards at home.

Nurofen, arnica and ice in first instacne. Whereabouts are you atm ? If you have applied for an EHIC card you can call an emergency numnber and be covered even if you haven't physically got it.

Is there bruising that looks like blood pooling due to gravity? When a bone fractures, it can bleed and the blood can pool in the tissues at the lowest point.

As for toes - unlikely they would do anything other than bandage them together.

thanks, haven't got any of those apart from the ice, which she is refusing to have on can get it all from the pharmacy in the morning though. at least she is reasonably good about keeping it elevated.

we're in Germany.

good point, I'll check underneath

she broke several metatarsals [sp?] in the other foot last year, and apparently this hurts more

I don't know whether it is likely to be sprain or fracture of the toes, but I think in both cases the treatment is the same - strapping the toes together.

DH recently thought he had broken his toe, but was told not to bother with an X-ray because the treatment would not change IYSWIM.

But I'm sure someone with more medical knowledge can provide some help.

Oops - they already have.

Also if you are UK citizen I think you can apply for the E111 cards online.

i have got the cards - in my filing cabinet at home

Did v similar thing myself when about 9/10, to ankle (foot hit shin in rugby tackle to big bro). X-rayed; doc said it's only cartilage so couldn't actually break anyway; strapped up tight, as far as I can remember. How old is dd1?

Wrenched two toes a month ago, minimal swelling and bruising, but could barely walk for a week. They'll only strap them up (if that). Do what LIZS said.

EHIC enquiry number from abroad +44 191 203 5555

thank you lisz

barnstaple, she's 8. am hoping that it'll be ok as it's not swollen or bruised...

I broke bones in both my feet as a teenager (separate times and different bones ) - if it's hurting her like hell then there is a good chance that she's broken a bone. I remember it feeling like 'burning' on the broken area. They can't do anything if she has - I was given a tubeygrip bandage to support my foot and signed off school for a few weeks (the school refused to take me in whilst it healed). The good thing is that children do heal very quickly. I did have my feet x-rayed but this was back in the 1980s - the rules on x-rays might be different now. My doctor knew what I'd done when he rotated my foot so there wasn't any real need to x-ray my foot anyway but he had it done just in case. Poor little love - a hurting foot is one of the most annoying injuries to get as it's virtually invisible to everyone else .

lizs even

her big toe joint is now bruised and a bit swollen ...
she can walk by not putting any weight on that side of the foot

?

take her the docs geekgirl, just to be on the safe side, if she has broken anything u dont wanna risk it knitting back together wrong

fuckettifuck just what I need (am here to look after my mum who is dying from cancer, everything is crapola already). The GP is doing a home visit for my mum tonight anyway, will ask him to have a look.

Can you fill up a washing up bowl of cold water and lob some ice cubes in there and get her to stick her foot in it. 20 mins.

Rules for sprain/strain (and toe fractures are)

Rest, Ice, Compressiom , Elevation.

Keep foot up as much as possiblle, and weight bear on it as little as possible...perfect excuse for some TV watching.

If is is a toe fracture (unless the toe is very deformed/dislocated) then they will tape it too the next one. You can buy strapping tape from the phrmasist.

Start Ibuprofen too.