Broken toe — advice for you
How to look after a broken toe at home, and the signs that mean you should be checked again.
You have broken a toe. The good news is that most broken toes mend on their own within 4 to 6 weeks and do not need a plaster. Follow the simple steps below to help it heal.
Your care details
To be completed by the team before you leave.
These can mean the break needs more than home care. For toe injuries you do not usually need to call 999.
- A badly broken or crooked big toe
- Any toe pointing the wrong way, or bone showing through the skin
- A deep cut or wound over the broken toe
- The toe becomes more red, hot or swollen, or oozes
- Severe pain that will not settle
- The toe feels numb, tingly, pale or cold
- You have diabetes and have hurt your toe
- Your toe is no better after about 6 weeks
Caring for it
- Buddy strap the broken toe to the toe next to it, with a little padding in between. Do not strap a big toe — see below.
- Wear sturdy, flat, roomy shoes, or the shoe you were given.
- Rest and raise your foot up when you can.
- Put ice wrapped in a cloth on it to ease swelling.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain, if you can take them.
- Walk as much as feels comfortable.
What to expect while it heals
These are normal and usually settle over the first few weeks:
Most toes are mended by 6 weeks. See your GP if pain is no better by then.
Why we don't strap the big toe
The big toe takes most of your weight, so a break there is treated differently. Do not buddy strap it. If you think your big toe is broken, or it looks crooked, come back so we can check it and decide on the best care for you.