It seems that just about everyone has had occasion to jam their foot into a piece of furniture or a door when barefoot.  So often happening in the middle of the night, they’re often referred to as “bedpost fractures”.   After getting over the sudden, intense pain when you see stars and have gotten past the urge to utter some bad words, what comes next?

Immediately, the best thing to do is to apply ice to the area for 10 minutes or so.  There’s no way of knowing for a fact whether it is indeed broken at this point, although swelling and turning black-and-blue is typically a pretty good indicator.

There’s a common misconception out there that “there’s nothing you can do for a broken toe”, but this isn’t really true. 

First, to determine whether it is broken, an x-ray needs to be obtained.  At Clark Podiatry Center, we have a digital x-ray which can provide clear results within a matter of seconds.  The importance of the x-rays isn’t just to see if the toe is broken, but also to see if the alignment of the bones is good in a broken toe. 

If the fracture is in good alignment, then “buddy taping” two toes together with a cotton ball in between is typically done and utilized for 4-6 weeks. This reduces swelling and immobilizes the fracture much like a cast would and that will make things far more comfortable when walking.

If there is poor alignment of the fracture, then it will not heal properly or healing could be delayed, in which case the fracture will need to be “set” under local anesthesia to improve the alignment.  Digital x-rays help here too to make sure the alignment of the fracture site has been improved.

The moral of the story is to be careful.  Being barefoot at home can be a dangerous proposition.  But if your foot does have an internal GPS that finds furniture, we’re here to help.  Call us at 732-382-3470 for an urgent appointment or request one on our website, www.clarpodiatry.com. We’ll fit you into our schedule ASAP to take care of your broken toe.

#broken toe  #ClarkPodiatryCenter  #digitalxray