Resolved question:
I recently stubbed my litte toe. I stubbed it rather pretty good. It appears to be swollen fairly good. This was yesterday, Thursday. And so its been like 36 hours or so. It appears to be more swollen than anything. At first I thought it might be crooked, just a lttle bit, as compared to my other little toe. I can walk on it, there is no pain, maybe once in a way I can tell its been stubbed somewhat. When I touch it to feel anything wrong with it, it feels like the bone may be swollen itself.
Do I still need to ice it? What can happen if I don't ice it?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thanks for your queries at DoctorSpring.com.
If it is fairly swollen as you say, then icing it will help to reduce the inflammation and pain, especially after walking and putting pressure on it. Not icing it will not do any harm, as it is simply a method to help to ease your symptoms and discomfort. The little toe should heal on its own in 2-3 weeks considering you are otherwise healthy and there is no further damage or stubbing of the toe.
In the meantime, you can take Ibuprofen which is over the counter which can also reduce inflammation and pain. Furthermore, you can purchase a toe splint that is available at local drug stores as well. Wear the splint at all times to encourage healing and proper alignment. If the symptoms persist for longer than 2 weeks or the pain begins to spread, make an appointment with your local physician. Your local doctor may do x-rays of the foot to assess any damage and structural abnormalities.
Please ask any follow up questions, if any. Take care.
Is it trued that you can walk on a broken toe and not know it? I think its ok. I don't have anything else going on with it at the moment. If I decide to splint it how long do I need to splint it, for proper healing?
If you have a broken toe, most likely you will have pain on walking. If you decide to split it, splint it for a week and then review. If the symptoms persists you better go for a MD consultation. Thank you