“There is nothing you can do for a broken toe” – this is a common myth and is far from the truth.
Breaking your toe can be incredibly painful and often hard to complete your daily activities. Other than trying to push through the pain there are a few things you can try to help the healing process and avoid damaging the surrounding tissues and bones further. 
All broken bones take time to heal, a broken toe can take anywhere between 4-6 weeks to completely heal. The length of time can depend on your age, activity, occupation and footwear.
Here are some tips to help ensure your broken toe doesn’t eventuate into something more substantial:
- Rest: Keep off your affected foot as much as possible and avoid any pressure to the area.
- Ice: Using ice as soon as the incident has occurred can help to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation, whilst also speeding up the healing process.
- Footwear: Choose your shoes wisely! Supportive shoes will reduce strain on your foot muscles and help to protect your toe from further damage. Shoes that don’t bend in half and have a firm sole are a good place to start.
- Buddy-taping: This style of taping is recommended to promote immobilisation and alignment of the broken toe during healing.
- Anti-inflammatory Medication: Medication such as Nurofen can help reduce painful symptoms whilst also decreasing inflammation and swelling.
- Imaging: An x-ray image can indicate what type of fracture has occurred and the best course of management can be undertaken.
If you suspect you have a broken toe it is best to see a podiatrist for an assessment, management and treatment to prevent any long term complications. If you have any questions about broken toes or injuries, feel free to give us a call on 8468 2411 or book online here.
