John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
The treatment for a broken toe can be cared for at home in some situations;
however, a broken toe may require medical treatment.
Caring for a broken toe at home include rest, ice, and elevation; provided
medical care is not necessary.
Medical treatment for a broken toe will depend on the location and the
severity of the fracture. Examples of possible medical treatment for a broken
toe are:
Pain medication, for example acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen
(Motrin). Stronger pain medication may be prescribed in certain situations.
Reduction
Buddy taping
Casting
Introduction to broken toe
A commonly injured area of the body is the foot, more
specifically, the toes (phalanxes). This often causes one or more of the toe
bones to break (fracture).
What are the causes of a broken toe?
Trauma or injury such as stubbing the toe (jammed toe) or dropping a heavy
object on the toe may cause a broken toe. The location of the toes (in the front
part of the feet) make them the most likely part of the foot to be injured.
Prolonged repetitive movements, as in certain sports
activities, can cause a type of broken type of broken toe called a stress or hairline fracture.
What are the symptoms of a broken toe?
Pain, swelling, or stiffness will occur in a broken toe following injury. It
may be difficult to walk due to the pain, especially with a broken big
toe. This is because the big toe bears much of the weight of the body when
walking or pivoting. A broken little toe may be painful but usually does not
limit the ability to walk.
Other symptoms include bruising of the skin around the toe and a bent or
deformed appearance of the toe if the broken bone is out of place.
Other problems may develop as a result of the fractured toe. Complications
can occur immediately after the injury (minutes to days), or can develop much
later (weeks to years).
What are the possible complications of a broken toe?
Nail injury: A collection of blood may develop underneath the
toenail called
a subungual hematoma. If it is
large, it may need to be drained. To drain a
subungual hematoma a doctor will make a small hole in the toenail to drain the
blood out. If the hematoma is very large or painful, the entire toenail may need
to be removed. The injury may also result in a broken toenail that may need to
be trimmed or removed.
Compound fracture: Rarely, the broken bone in a toe fracture may stick out through the skin.
This is called an open or compound fracture. Emergency medical treatment and
surgery may be necessary in this case.
Arthritis: After the toe fracture heals, the person may still be
left with arthritis,
pain, stiffness, or even a deformity.
Nonunion/malunion: Sometimes, the fractured bone will not heal completely (called a nonunion) or
will heal improperly (called a malunion). Rarely, surgery may be necessary to
fix this problem.
Foot pain may be caused by injuries (sprains, strains, bruises, and fractures), diseases (diabetes, Hansen disease, and gout), viruses, fungi, and bacteria (plantar warts and athlete's foot), or even ingrown toenails. Pain and tenderness may be accompanied by joint looseness, swelling, weakness, discoloration, and loss of function. Minor foot pain can usually be treated with rest, ice, compression, and elevation and OTC medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Severe pain should be treated by a medical professional.
A hematoma is a collection of blood that is outside a blood vessel. There are different areas where hematomas occur including the inside the skull, scalp, ear, septum, bones, finger and toenails, and intra-abdominal. Treatment for hematomas depend on the type and location of the hematoma.
Fractures occur when bone cannot withstand the outside forces applied to the bone. Fractures can be open or closed. Types of fractures include: greenstick, spiral, comminuted, transverse, compound, or vertebral compression. Common fractures include: stress fracture, compression fracture, rib fracture, and skull fracture. Treatment depends upon the type of fracture.
A bruise, or contusion, is caused when blood vessels are damaged or broken as the result of a blow to the skin. The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured blood vessels into the tissues as well as from the body's response to the injury. Treatments include applying an ice pack and pressure to the area by hand.
An injury to a ligament is called a sprain, and an injury to muscle or tendon is called a strain. Sprains and strains may be caused by repetitive movements or a single stressful incident. Symptoms include pain and swelling. Though treatment depends upon the extent and location of the injury, rest, ice, compression, and elevation are key elements of treatment.
There are several bones in the foot, and these bones can be broken (fractured) in a variety of ways. Falling from heights, dropping heavy objects on the foot, or stress fractures from running or walking. Treatment of a broken foot depends on what bone in the foot is broken.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
You fall off your bike, bang your shin on the coffee table
(that you swore you would move months ago) or run into a wall and wake up with a
wallop of a bruise. What is a bruise, and
what can you do about it? A bruise (medically referred to as a contusion) is caused
when tiny blood vessels are damaged or broken as the result of a blow to the
skin (be it bumping against something or hitting yourself with a hammer). The
raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured
blood vessels into the tissues as well as from the body's response to the
injury. A purplish,
flat bruise that occurs when blood leaks out into the top layers
of skin is referred to as an ecchymosis.
Why do bruises occur more frequently in some
people than in others?
The injury required to produce a bruise varies with
age. While it may take quite a bit of force to cause a bruise
in a young child, even minor ...
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