You know how much it can hurt to stub or drop something on your toe. While you don’t need to see a podiatrist every time someone steps on your toes, fractures are pretty common injuries for your toes and should be treated properly. Mild fractures may heal on their own, but some can be recurrent, and breaks can cause damage that can result in crooked toes or painful symptoms in the future. Here are some telltale signs of serious fractures or breaks:
You’ll probably still be able to walk even with a bad break in your toe, but you should assess your pain level. If putting weight on the specific toe or pressing down on it hurts even the day after your injury, you should see a podiatrist right away.
Though stubbing your toe really hurts, it shouldn’t cause swelling. Compare your injured toe to the other foot. If it looks swollen, it’s probably fractured or broken.
If your toe is bruised or crooked, it is very likely broken. Any discolored or misshapen toes should be checked by a podiatrist right away.
Feeling pain in your toe for a few days isn’t normal, especially if you’ve iced it after your injury. If you find that touching it or putting weight on it hurts even two days after your accident, see a podiatrist.
Oftentimes if you break your toe you’ll be able to feel the instability of the joint. Grab your toe with your fingers. If you can feel a clicking in the toe when you move it around or it causes you pain to do this, it’s probably broken.
If any of these symptoms or signs apply to you, you may have a broken toe, so make sure to see a podiatrist right away.
Dr. Christine Ellie is an experienced podiatrist who treats all foot related conditions. She, along with the rest of the orthopedists and physiatrists and NY Bone and Joint Specialists, provide the highest standard of care in NYC. Years of experience and excellence have made our practice the top rated in New York City and New Jersey. Our practice has one goal: a better quality of life for our patients.
