How long heal broken toe

Throbbing pain in the toe is the first sign that it may be broken. You may also hear the bone break at the time of injury. A broken bone, also called a fracture, may also cause swelling at the break.

Walking, or even just standing, can be painful. A bad break can also dislocate the toe, which can cause it to rest at an unnatural angle. It will still swell, but will likely have less bruising. A sprained toe may be painful for several days, but should then begin to improve.

One other key difference between a break and a sprain is the location of the pain. Usually a break will hurt right where the bone has fractured.

With a sprain, the pain may be felt in a more general area around the toe. The only way to tell for sure if the injury is a break or a sprain is to see your doctor. They can examine your toe and determine the type of injury. The two most common causes of a broken toe are stubbing it into something hard or having something heavy land on it.

A broken toe can usually be diagnosed with the use of an X-ray. Your doctor will examine your toe and ask for your medical history. Tell your doctor as many details as you can about the injury and your symptoms. Be sure to tell your doctor if you notice a loss of feeling or tingling in your toe. This could be a sign of nerve damage. With the numerous small bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your toes it can be hard to identify what type of injury you are suffering from.

Broken toes are some of the most common breaks of the foot and are frequently marked by symptoms like:. Although broken toes are well known, the treatment of them seems to be clouded with many unknowns and falsehoods.

This is not only untrue, but can be harmful. If a fractured toe is not treated promptly and correctly, serious complications may develop! Although it may be possible to move and walk on your broken toe, you should avoid doing so as this can lead to even greater damage and prolonged healing time. If you suspect your toe or any bone is broken, hot water or any heat applied to the area can make it worse!

They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone. Go to Urgent treatment centres are places you can go if you need to see someone now.

Find an urgent treatment centre. Broken toes usually heal within 4 to 6 weeks, but it can sometimes take several months. Toe fracture broken toe.

In: Minor Emergencies. Gravlee JR, et al. Toe fractures in adults. Azar FM, et al. Fractures and dislocations of the foot. In: Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics.