Symptoms & Treatment For a Broken Toe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ouch! Have you ever stubbed your toe on the coffee table in the middle of the night or dropped something on your toe? It hurts and when it breaks, you realize what an important role that little part of your body actually plays!

There are several bones in your toes that can break and a stub, hit or trip can cause a broken toe to occur. How do you know if your toe is actually broken? Here are a few things to look for:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising or discoloration
• Difficulty walking

If you are a “tough it out” type of person, it may not be the wisest action to take when it comes to a broken toe. When elevation, ice, rest and medication does not work or if you have severe pain and cannot walk, it is time to get it looked at. Dr. Tina Boucher, foot specialist in Meriden, CT regularly treats athletes, dancers and regular patients who have sustained toe injuries and prompt treatment is important.

If the skin is broken near the injured toe, you are at a higher risk for infection making it necessary to be cleaned and bandaged. If the toe is bent or deformed, the fractured bone may need to be put back into place. Dr. Boucher may use buddy taping to splint the injured toe to the nearest toe, prescribe a stiff bottomed open shoe that prevents your toe flexing or casting if necessary.

It may be a small injury in the grand scheme of things but a toe injury that is not properly cared for can significantly interrupt your daily activities and halt your exercise routine. If you have a toe injury, make an appointment with our podiatric office for treatment today. Call (203) 238-3668 or visit us at www.centralctfootcare.com.

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Talking About Turf Toe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have stubbed your toe in the middle of the night or had it injured during a game, you can attest to the pain such a little thing can bring! Your big toe may be small when compared to other parts of your body but an injury such as turf toe can sideline any athlete or weekend warrior.

Turf toe is a big toe injury that occurs when the big toe joint is hyper-extended. It can happen when the toe is jammed suddenly or through a repetitive pushing off action such as what happens when running or jumping. It is a very common injury seen in football players who play on artificial turf, hence the name of the injury. Dr. Tina Boucher, foot specialist in Meriden, CT sees turf toe occur in other as well such as: gymnastics, dance, basketball, soccer and wrestling.

Turf toe is actually a sprain to the ligaments around the big toe joint. Common symptoms associated with turf toe include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Limited movement of the big toe joint

Continuing to engage in activity or play sports with this injury will only cause it to worsen. It is important to treat turf toe at the onset to get you back in the game quickly. Dr. Boucher offers patients with turf toe several effective treatment options that include: anti-inflammatory medications, rest, icing, compression, elevation, taping and change of footwear.

Contact our conveniently located podiatric office and make an appointment if you feel you may have suffered a turf toe injury. Call (203) 238-3668 or visit us at www.centralctfootcare.com.

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