Broken Toe Myths & Facts
People tend to have some misconceptions when it comes to the topic of treating a broken toe. As with any painful foot or ankle injury, your best bet is to see your foot doctor for the proper treatment, so the condition doesn’t continue to worsen.
Some broken toe myths and facts include the following:
Myth— “It must not be broken because I can walk on it.”
Fact—The fact of the matter is that a number of toe injuries, such as a hairline fracture, may only exhibit minor, intermittent pain in the beginning, but if left untreated, the condition will continue to worsen. So, if you drop your phone on your foot or stub your toe (while staring at your phone, no less!) just trying to “walk it off” could likely cause additional damage and prolong the pain.
Myth— “Don’t worry about it! Broken toes will heal by themselves!”
Fact—If you do nothing and just hope for the best, your broken toe will almost certainly get worse. As soon as you can after the injury, employ the RICE protocol and allow any swelling to subside to get a better idea of the severity of the injury. There are some simple support treatments such as buddy taping that may be enough to immobilize a toe fracture that isn’t too severe.
If you suspect that you may have broken your toe, your best action would be to see your foot doctor for a proper evaluation. Call Podiatry Foot & Ankle Institute, located in Hackensack, Fort Lee, NJ. With access to advanced technologies, our foot and ankle doctors, Dr. Edward Harris, Dr. Neil Goldberg, Dr. Adam Rozenstrauch and Dr. Yakov Groysman can help you manage all of your foot and ankle conditions including heel pain, ankle sprains, toe deformities, fungal toenails, and plantar warts. Please schedule an appointment by calling our experienced podiatry team or book appointment online today.
