Next Steps When You Break a Toe

Next steps are a normal concern when you have change in your life, like graduating from college, moving somewhere new, or getting a puppy. Knowing what comes next and how to handle it helps you tackle the challenges ahead. The same is true for problems or injuries that strike, too, like toe fractures. Knowing your next steps can help you get the best care and heal your foot more effectively.

Toes break for many reasons. You could stub your foot, trip, be stepped on, drop something heavy on yourself, or otherwise strike a digit. The sudden force breaks a bone in your toe, leaving you in pain—and possibly struggling to walk. What you do after your initial injury is key for helping your toe heal.

First, start first aid. This means avoiding pressure or stress on your digits. Ice the affected toes to alleviate pain and control swelling as well. After this, have your foot examined to accurately diagnose the break and see how serious it is. This can determine if the break is only in your toe, or if there’s damage in your metatarsals or other places as well.

After this you can begin treatments. A mildly broken toe may only need to be held stable with buddy-taping to heal correctly. Place protective gauze between your broken digit and a healthy neighbor. Then tape those two toes together, so your healthy toe acts as a splint for your broken one. You may still need to wear a stiff-soled shoe to protect the digits from stress, but this should help your foot heal.

A more severe break, though, may require immobilization with an actual boot or foot cast. Any alignment issues in the bones will be corrected, then your foot will be held still in a protective boot to allow the tissue to knit back together properly. After the bones have recovered, you’ll be able to remove the boot and carefully return to your activities.

No matter how you care for a broken toe, your next step should never be to ignore the problem. Instead, get your digits checked and your lower limbs cared for, so you can get back to your active life without pain. Our team at The Kansas Foot Center in Wichita, Newton, and Emporia is happy to help you with all next steps for foot injuries. Call (316) 283-4330 to make an appointment with us today and eliminate your toe pain.