I think I just broke my toe...

Ouchy, that was painfull; I should be more careful when walking barefoot around the house.
The fourth toe, the one next to the little one, is turning purple on top of the second falange; the nail seems to be broken at the base, bellow the skin; and the whole business hurts like hell if I move or touch it.

I think I´ll have to wait untill tomorrow and see if it´s really broken or not.

There’s not too much that one can do with a toe injury. Ice and elevation for the first 48 hours will help reduce swelling, a broken nail will eventually grow out. What I can help you fix is spelling: phalange is the term you seek, and in your sig line, criticize is correct. Hope your toe feels better. :slight_smile:

Yep, sounds broken… levitate it and when the swelling goes down tape it to the toe next to it with a little gauze in between, it’ll help it to heal more or less straight. (That’s all a doctor will do for it if you go to see them anyway… I know I’ve done it)

Falange, hehe… that was a Spanish lapsus.
I didn´t know my signature was appearing, actually, I had completely forgotten about it; but in any case I already fixed it.

Now, back to the toe, it´s turning deep purple now. :eek:
I got some ice, and danceswithcats I hope you´re right that this will help in the long term ´cause the cold feels like I´m squeezing the toe with a vice. :frowning:

Obsidian Flutterby The toe is not bent; so I´m not sure if it´s broken or not; in any case, if it doesn´t get better by next morning I´ll see a doctor.

When I was a paramedic, and working in the ER, injuries such as yours were treated with cold and elevation. I don’t know why obsidian wants to make your foot float, but it could be an amusing way to entertain your friends. Advice about using an adjacent sound toe as a proximal splint is good-I should have included that.

Oddly enough, I was exiting the bathroom a month or so ago in a hasty manner to reach the ringing phone and introduced two toes of my right foot to the interior door casing and wall frame. Advice for betting: smart money is on the wall structure. After much swearing which did naught but amuse the parrot, I iced and elevated the abused digits.

Not to be trite, but not unlike most other issues of life, it gets better. :smiley: You’ll gimp around for a week or so, putting on shoes will test your pain tolerance, and it will pass.

My best friend broke the same toe 2 weeks ago. She called me and asked if I could take her to the hospital. When I got there, her toe was at a right handle angle :eek:

3 hours at the hospital, 1 x-ray later, the doctor taped her 3 last toes together with gauze in between and told her to ice it, keep it elevated and stay off it as much as possible (which is impossible with 2 kids) That’s it. Not much more they can do.

Two weeks later and it barely hurts her. Good luck!