Understanding A Broken Big Toe
The Big Toe has an extremely vital role to play when it comes to balancing the body and act as a weightbearing surface. It also acts as shock absorber when an individual is running or walking on an uneven terrain. An injury to the Big Toe can severely dent the ability of an individual to walk or run or in fact participate in any activities without significant pain. A Big Toe injury may also interfere with the sleep of an individual and may wake up the individual in the middle of the night with searing pain.
A Big Toe may get fractured or broken as a result of a direct blow or trauma to the toe such being hit by a hockey stick during a game, or being run over by a car. The fracture can be both displaced as well as nondisplaced. In a nondisplaced fracture of the Big Toe, the bones move out of alignment and this can be treated with immobilization and casting. A displaced Big Toe fracture is more serious one and is caused due to a severe injury to the foot where there is a break in the skin and the fragments of the bones gets exposed to the environment. This form of fracture requires surgery with a period of immobilization and physical therapy to treat.
The common symptoms of a Broken Big Toe are pain, swelling, and numbness at the injury site. The individual may not able to move the toe at all due to the pain.
Is It Possible To Walk With A Broken Big Toe?
The answer to this question is the ability of an individual to walk with a broken Big Toe depends on the type of the fracture. In case of a nondisplaced fracture of the big toe, the individual will be able to walk some distances but it will tend to cause significant pain and so it is preferred to stay off of the foot for a period of time till the fractured big toe heals.
In cases of a nondisplaced fracture, it will not be possible for an individual to move the foot, let alone walking on that foot, as the bones of the big toe completely move out of alignment and are not in shape to give stability to the foot. For cases of a broken Big Toe, it is best to not ambulate and use a cane or a walker for support till the fracture heals and the individual is again able to walk normally.
- American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. “Toe and Metatarsal Fractures (Broken Toes).” https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/toe-and-metatarsal-fractures-(broken-toes)
- Cleveland Clinic. “Broken Toes.” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17901-broken-toes
- Mayo Clinic. “Broken Toe.”Mayo Clinic. “Broken Toe.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-toe/symptoms-causes/syc-20352898
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