Broken Toe

by Anna
(Paraguay)

Question

I kicked a curb really hard back in January (it's June now). My big toe hurt insanely bad for several days, but I taped it and iced it as much as possible and the pain went down. It was swollen for a few days, and had a small bruise on the knuckle, but I could walk on it with some pain. I didn't have it x-rayed because I don't have insurance in the USA and I was leaving the country in a week.

Now it's June and the toe still aches sometimes, especially when it's cold, I've re-stubbed it, I'm walking up hills, or I've done a lot of walking. It still seems like it might be a little swollen, but not all the time. It isn't bent, but sometimes I think it might be swollen (it's hard to tell, because it's my dominant foot and is slightly bigger anyway).

Is it worth getting an x-ray, could they actually do anything to help it?

Answer

Sounds like you managed the toe correctly. Arthritis is possible as a result of the damage to the toe, broken toes typically remain quite painful for many months and can take a full year before the majority of the swelling reduces.

See your Podiatrist for further evaluation if pain persists.