How Do You Know if You Broke Your Toe?

Feb 22, 2022

how-do-you-know-if-you-broke-your-toe
If you have ever stubbed your toe, then you know that sudden and intense pain. The pain can leave you wondering if you have actually broken your toe. While many cases of a hurt toe end up being a sprain, it is possible to break your toe. When the bone in your toe is broken, it is called a fracture. A broken toe, or toe fracture, can be very painful. It can be difficult to determine if you have a broken toe or a milder toe injury. From car accident injuries to sports injuries, you may be wondering, “Is my toe broken?” Here are the signs and symptoms of a broken toe and how a doctor can help.

Anatomy of a Foot

The feet are composed of bones, joints, muscles, and other soft tissues that help us stand up, walk around, and move our bodies from point A to point B. The forefront of the foot contains the five toes, known as phalanges. Five longer bones in the forefoot are called metatarsals and help connect the toes to the midfoot. The midfoot helps form the arched structure of the foot, while the hindfoot includes the heel and ankle. Several muscles, ligaments, and tendons run from the forefoot to the hindfoot and help support movement, motion, stability, and balance. The toes of the feet help provide balance and support when you stand, walk, and move around. When you take a step, your toes actually help bear the weight of your whole body while you move. Toes also help with propulsion in walking, running, and other types of movement.

Symptoms of a Broken Toe

If you experience throbbing pain in one of your toes, then you have a broken toe. It is also possible to hear the bone break during the injury itself. A broken bone can also cause swelling and inflammation nearby, which can make your pain and discomfort worse. A broken toe may appear red, swollen, and bruising may begin to appear. If you have a broken toe, then you may have trouble standing or walking. Putting weight on your toe may feel incredibly painful or impossible. Sometimes a broken toe can also cause a dislocation, so the toe may stick out at an odd or unnatural angle. A broken toe will cause pain in that specific area where the fracture has occurred. In more severe cases of a broken toe, you may experience tingling and numbness in the area.

Common Causes of a Broken Toe

Because your feet help you move around throughout your day, you can suffer a broken toe in a lot of different ways. Here are four examples of what can cause a broken toe.

Stubbing Your Toe

Stubbing your toe is one of the most common causes of a broken toe. If you suddenly hit or jam your toe against something hard, it is known as a stubbed toe. It is common to accidentally stub your toe if you kick your toe into the doorframe or against a table leg. Tripping over a toy or other obstacle on the ground can also cause you to stub your toe. If you do not see something in front of your foot and accidentally kick it hard enough, you can end up stubbing your toe.

Dropping a Heavy Object

Another common cause of a broken toe is when you accidentally drop a heavy object on your foot. You are at greater risk for a broken toe if you are going barefoot or not wearing proper foot protection. Carrying a box while moving and dropping it on your toe can lead to a broken toe. If your job requires you to lift heavy objects, then you risk a broken toe if you accidentally lose your grip.

Car Accident Injury

It is also possible to suffer a broken toe because of a car accident. You may be surprised to learn that a car accident injury can affect your toes. If the foot compartment is crushed during the accident, it can cause injury to one or both of your feet. Your feet can become entangled with the pedals or twisted and stretched unnaturally with the force of impact, causing a fracture.

Sports Injury

You can suffer a sudden broken toe after a strong blow to the foot while playing sports. It is also possible to sustain a toe fracture due to prolonged and repetitive movements that put pressure and stress on your toes and feet. This type of broken toe would be known as a stress fracture. Sports like bike riding, skateboarding, and skiing can lead to a broken toe due to the greater risk of falls and sudden impacts with hard surfaces.

Broken vs. Bruised Toe

At a glance, it may be difficult to tell whether you are dealing with a broken or bruised toe. When you stub your toe, it can cause pain, swelling, and discoloration of the toe. Your toe may also feel tender to the touch. You might wonder whether your toe is broken or just bruised. Bruising around the toe may appear shades of red and purple that go away within a few days of the initial injury. However, a broken toe may cause bruising, redness, and swelling that does not go away so quickly. Broken toes typically experience darker bruising and discoloration than a minor toe injury.

Diagnosing a Broken Toe

If you think you have a broken toe, then you will need to visit the doctor for an official diagnosis. Your doctor will want to physically examine your toe and foot. They may also request an X-ray to get a better look at the internal structure of your toe and foot. An X-ray will show the bones in white, while soft tissues will appear as a lighter shade of gray. X-rays can detect broken bones where there is an absence of white space where the bone should be connected. X-rays from a variety of angles can help determine the severity of the break. It helps to explain to your doctor what was happening when the initial injury occurred. Your doctor will also want to know what symptoms you have been experiencing.

Broken Toe Treatment Options

There are a few things you can do right away to help get relief from the pain caused by a broken toe. A broken toe can take 3-6 weeks to fully heal, depending on the severity of the break. Here are examples of broken toe treatment options and how they can help you.

Rest

Staying off your feet will give your foot a chance to heal properly. Resting your toe will help keep it from getting aggravated by too much movement. In the first few days after the injury occurs, staying off your injured foot as much as possible will help the healing process begin and keep you from further injuring the toe.

Stabilize

Keeping your toe stable helps it to heal back into place properly. The most common treatment for stabilizing a broken toe is known as “buddy taping.” Gently secure the broken toe to the toe next to it using medical tape and place a gauze pad in between the toes to help prevent irritation. This helps you stabilize the broken toe with a healthy toe used as a splint. Buddy taping gives the broken toe more support while it heals.

Ice

Icing your toe will help reduce swelling and inflammation caused by the fracture. The cold temperature makes blood vessels smaller, which decreases the amount of circulation to the foot. Applying ice or a cold compress also provides a temporary numbing effect for pain relief. Icing the toe is most effective within the first 24-48 hours of the injury occurring.

Elevate

Elevating your foot will also help reduce swelling and inflammation. Propping your foot up at or above your heart helps decrease circulation to the toes. Elevating your foot on a few pillows while you sleep will also help reduce pain and swelling. Staying off your foot as much as possible and keeping it elevated during the first two days after the injury can help you heal faster from a broken toe.

Recovering from a Broken Toe

A broken toe will cause pain, tenderness, and swelling for days or even weeks after the initial injury. This means you will need to reduce your typical activities and avoid walking long distances, running, or playing sports. Depending on the severity of your broken toe, your doctor will advise when you can fully return to your regular activities. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a walking cast that will help provide your foot with more stability and support while you heal. As the bone starts to heal properly, the pain and swelling should start to go down. You may want to try different or more supportive footwear while you recover. A bigger or wider shoe can help accommodate your foot if the swelling is significant. Choose shoes with a lightweight top so that it puts less pressure on your toes. Avoid open-toed shoes like flip-flops that don’t offer a lot of support and leave your toes exposed and vulnerable to more injury. Easing back into your activities will help you heal and recover from your broken toe without aggravating the injury.

Other Causes of Toe Pain

If you are experiencing pain in your toes and feet, there may be other reasons why. Here are five examples of other causes of foot and toe pain that are frequently confused with a broken toe.

Turf Toe

Turf toe is the more common term for what is known as a sprained toe. When you sprain your toe, the ligament in your toe is overstretched or torn and causing you pain. Turf toe is a type of injury common in athletes and affects the big toe. If the big toe becomes hyperextended, it can cause partial tearing or even a joint dislocation. Turf toe can cause pain, swelling, bruising, and tenderness in your big toe.

Hammer Toe

Hammer toe, or mallet toe, refers to a condition where one of the joints in the toe bends at an abnormal angle. If the joint right below the toenail bends at an abnormal angle, then it is known as mallet toe. When the middle joint of the toe is affected, it is called hammer toe. This type of deformity can occur after a traumatic toe injury or by wearing shoes that don’t fit properly. This type of joint condition can lead to difficulty walking and flexing or wiggling your toes.

Bunion

A bunion is a type of bump that occurs along the outside of the big toe or pinky toe. This bump is actually an abnormality where the foot bones cause the outer toe to lean inward toward the other toes. You may first notice a bunion if your toes start to curve inward instead of being straight. In some cases, a bunion can be painless. However, bunions can also cause pain, discomfort, and deformity over time. Bunions can cause redness and inflammation along the side of your outer toe and cause pain and difficulty with certain movements.

Foot Corn

A foot corn refers to hard, thickened layers of skin that develop due to pressure and friction on the area. Corns typically look like rough, yellow patches or lumps of skin along the sides of the feet and toes. Friction and rubbing against corns with certain types of footwear can cause pain and discomfort.

Arthritis

It is also possible to develop arthritis in the toes. Arthritis pain in your toes can affect any of your toes, though it is most common in the big toes. When the cartilage of the joints in your toes becomes damaged, it can lead to arthritis. Arthritis in your toes can cause pain, swelling, and a restricted range of motion. You may experience difficulty flexing or bending your toes and notice an increase in discomfort with certain weight-bearing activities.

If you are experiencing pain in one of your toes, visit a doctor at AICA Orthopedics in Atlanta to find out if you have a broken toe!

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