Heal a Broken Toe

Broken toes can be very painful. Here's how to get over them as soon as possible.

Steps

 * 1) Keep the foot with the broken toe elevated to reduce swelling.
 * 2) Apply an ice pack to further reduce swelling. No more than 10-15 min. per hour, every hour for 1-2 days. Do not over-ice.  Over-icing may cause frostbite.
 * 3) See a doctor and get X-rayed. An X-ray will tell you how severely broken your toe is. It may need to be set or put in a cast.
 * 4) If seeing a doctor is not an option, then you should Buddy Wrap. This involves wrapping gauze around the broken toe and the next biggest toe that's not broken. Place a popsicle stick or cotton ball between the toes so they heal straight. Apply medical tape to hold the gauze in place.
 * 5)  Minimize standing and walking for several weeks, or until the toe is better. Definitely do not wear high heels, as your weight is distributed mostly among your toes when you wear heels.
 * 6)  Be aware that the break will affect you differently depending on which toe you break. Your big toe, which supports some of your weight when you walk, is going to affect you more than if you break your pinky toe.
 * 7)  Whenever possible, keep your foot elevated above chest level.
 * 8)  Check with a doctor before exercising again, or wait until you are absolutely sure it is healed.

Tips

 * When Buddy Wrapping (buddy taping), one MUST place gauze or a cotton ball between the toes being wrapped together to avoid maceration of the skin and infection.  Failure to due so may cause severe injury.
 * Stay off your feet as long as you can.
 * Try to relax and take your mind off of it to help with the pain.
 * Try not to move the broken toe.

Warnings

 * DO NOT use this article as a substitute for medical care!
 * A broken toe can be quite serious, if possible see a doctor and get X-rayed. It is important to get medical treatment right away, because if you don't, you can do serious damage to your foot and your toe! Beware!

Things You'll Need

 * Gauze
 * Medical Tape
 * Ice Pack
 * Cotton Wool
 * Something to sit on so you won't walk
 * Popsicle Stick
 * Sleep Plenty

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Create a Home First Aid Kit
 * How to Aid a Sick Family Member
 * How to Call an Ambulance
 * How to Recover from a Strained or Pulled Muscle