Broken Toes

superstring01

superstring01

Moderator
I know that it's generally nothing to worry about but I just crushed (and I mean really crushed) my "pointer" toe and my "middle" toe. Two nights ago, I smashed them full-force into the corner of the door sans any protection or socks (f-ing cats made a noise at 3am that required my investigation). They are swollen and quite purple-ish-black. I'm gimping around like some... some... well, like some gimp. The nail has already bid adieu to the middle toe and the other one can't be far behind.

Some lady I work with said something about soaking in Epsom salt, but I didn't buy it.

~String
 
ouch, i had my big toe smashed by a cricket ball and it hurt like hell. A cold compress is your best bet unless you think the break is sever enough to need surgury (they wont even x-ray a broken toe normally because it doesnt change the clincal treatment)
 
If the toe is dislocated or actually broken with tendon injury, and you don't get it splinted, it can curl up as it heals and be fixed crooked barring surgery.

Happened to me, little toe - it's permanently kinked. Not too much of a problem, on that toe. I could not really walk for three days, hobbled for more than a week (long ago, hard to recall).

AFAIK soaking helps by encouraging blood flow, especially in the damaged return veins, and lymph drainage. I don't know what the Epsom salts do - we just used a little salt and maybe some laundry soap for soaking (my mother's solution to everything) and I think it just kept the skin in better shape. (The salt water may dissolve dried blood, ease a clot out and allow drainage).

I've lost a lot of toenails, one way and another. Barring aesthetics while they grow back, it hasn't been much of a problem.

If the discoloration spreads up the veins toward the ankle, see a doc.

If the toe swells hard, and even slight pressure on the remaining nail really hurts, you are building up blood pressure under the nail. Heat a needle very hot, and melt the point of it through the nail where it feels like the main bubble is - straight in, doesn't take much force if the needle si hot - until you tap the reservoir. You'll know - it will emerge with force. Hit me in the face, once.

It's a bit scary, pushing a hot needle into your sore toe - but the relief will make a believer out of you: it's immediate.
 
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Whenever I break my toes (regular occurrence) I just try to get on as normal and brave it.
It's worked so far.
In fact the only time I've had problems was when I went to the hospital and they splinted my toe, so from now on I don't bother to go for broken phalanges.
 
Shit String, another scar to add to the collection ( noting that you and I were keen participants in the 'how many ways have you nearly killed yourself thread'), busted toes are painful little fuckers, especially the initial injury, it just kills.
You'll be pleased to note that I'm sporting a cracked rib ( courtesy of falling over on my own chest of drawers, pissed as a cricket after a mate's fiftieth birthday bash) I tripped on my scungies ( underwear).
 
I used to know a guy who broke his finger once and just left it to heal itself. Now his finger is permanently kinked at a weird angle and much smaller on the top half than the bottom.
It's a bit scary, pushing a hot needle into your sore toe - but the relief will make a believer out of you: it's immediate.
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A deck hand did that in one episode of Deadliest Catch :puke:
 
iceaura said:
.... Heat a needle very hot, and melt the point of it through the nail where it feels like the main bubble is - straight in, doesn't take much force if the needle si hot - until you tap the reservoir. ....
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My Mom does that. Us kids NEVER complained about a stubbed toe. I think we would have preferred the toe falling off.

And as far as I know, salt does help.
 
just cut it off man, cut it off. You are not going to be a ballet dancer, so why do you need toes anyway???
 
Syzygys said:
just cut it off man, cut it off. You are not going to be a ballet dancer, so why do you need toes anyway???
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How do you know? I just might make a living by being a ballet dancer! We gays are drawn to dance like flies to shit.

~String

PS-- I really, really hate ballet (from what I've seen).
 
Um for those who suggest you need to set a broken toe what exactly is the treatment?

from everything i have seen, herd, and learned at uni the treatment is to just leave it alone and MAYBE bandage it but you cant splint or plaster a TOE!!!!!!!!!.

For the guy who was talking about the finger, fingers are compleatly different. When i broke my finger they splinted it to let it heal because they are long and you can actually get a splint onto a finger. YOU CANT WITH A TOE!!!!!!!
 
superstring01 said:
I know that it's generally nothing to worry about but I just crushed (and I mean really crushed) my "pointer" toe and my "middle" toe. Two nights ago, I smashed them full-force into the corner of the door sans any protection or socks (f-ing cats made a noise at 3am that required my investigation). They are swollen and quite purple-ish-black. I'm gimping around like some... some... well, like some gimp. The nail has already bid adieu to the middle toe and the other one can't be far behind.

Some lady I work with said something about soaking in Epsom salt, but I didn't buy it.

~String
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Espom won't do shit, IMHO.

I got a tiny break in one of my toes about a month ago, and it hurt quite a bit after the swelling went down, although the pain was tolerable as long as you don't bend them. It takes about 6 weeks for broken toes to heal (it still hasn't healed, but I think it's almost there), and the first 3 weeks are worst. So yeah, keep off them. You might want to get crutches if you keep stepping on them.

Oh, and buddy tape the broken toes to a good. That will help stabilise them.
 
yea thats a good point, hire some crutches and wear a slipper on that foot insted of a shoe
 
lepustimidus said:
Espom won't do shit, IMHO.

I got a tiny break in one of my toes about a month ago, and it hurt quite a bit after the swelling went down, although the pain was tolerable as long as you don't bend them. It takes about 6 weeks for broken toes to heal (it still hasn't healed, but I think it's almost there), and the first 3 weeks are worst. So yeah, keep off them. You might want to get crutches if you keep stepping on them.

Oh, and buddy tape the broken toes to a good. That will help stabilise them.
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I did the epsom salt thing which I'm not sure worked beyond making them feel better. That probably had more to do with the hot water soak than the salt.

I taped the toes together which actually helped with the pain.

Thanks for the suggestions, all.

~String
 
asguard said:
Um for those who suggest you need to set a broken toe what exactly is the treatment?
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A surgeon can set a couple of pins in the bones and run a brace between them to hold alignment while they heal.

It's only for bad breaks or joint dislocations, with tendon injury.
 
i already had said that he needed to seek medical treatment if it was that serious, however for a straight broken toe they wont even x-ray the toe because it doesnt change the clinical treatment (x-ray's are ONLY used where the answer will change clincal care).

However your right, if an orthopidic surgen is required then there are things that can be done for that level of damage
 
I would recommend not following your cats at 3 in the morning. Cats don't try to protect your house from danger, they don't make noise about anything that you should worry about. They really make noise just to piss people off it seems. So your toe would be fine if it weren't for the cat.
 
Orleander said:
so, did you break a few cat toes to even it up?
;)
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No. I was preoccupied with some random pain somewhere...

where was it...?

OH-- in my TOES!

DJ Erock said:
I would recommend not following your cats at 3 in the morning. Cats don't try to protect your house from danger, they don't make noise about anything that you should worry about. They really make noise just to piss people off it seems. So your toe would be fine if it weren't for the cat.
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True. So true. They're little bitches who can't keep their paws off anything. I have to cat-proof the place before retiring. "Okay... all small, valuable, chewable items are removed to a cabinet? Okay... check." "Cat bowls filled? Check." (they'll paw at my door at the wee hours of the morning requesting breakfast if I don't make sure they have something to eat-- like I said, "little bitches."

~String
 
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