Broken pinky toe

[MamaBelle4]

I'm pretty sure. I injured it on Sunday. Now my foot is a rainbow of bruises and it still hurts and is a bit of a struggle to move. Do you go to the doctor for a broken pinky toe or not? I had originally thought no, but then I thought about arthritis and such if it doesn't heal right. WWYD?

 

[Southernmiss]

I'm pretty sure. I injured it on Sunday. Now my foot is a rainbow of bruises and it still hurts and is a bit of a struggle to move. Do you go to the doctor for a broken pinky toe or not? I had originally thought no, but then I thought about arthritis and such if it doesn't heal right. WWYD?

I do not. Have done this several times. I just tape the toe to the next one(s) and hobble on in a good tight fitting shoe

 

[Floridaman999]

It would depend on my insurance coverage, or how much it would cost me to do so.

 

[GreatLakes]

I'd go because I'm a runner and any leg or foot injury I have looked at by my doctor or a sports medicine specialist I see. I'm not taking any chances on a minor injury turning major or missing something because I just guessed at the problem.

 

[MamaBelle4]

It would depend on my insurance coverage, or how much it would cost me to do so.

I actually have good insurance. Wouldn't even cost a copay. I don't want to waste the doctor's time if it's nothing they can do though.

 

[GreatLakes]

I actually have good insurance. Wouldn't even cost a copay. I don't want to waste the doctor's time if it's nothing they can do though.

Then definitely go. It isn't wasting their time and if there is anything more to the damage than a simple bone break you want to know now.

 

[Floridaman999]

I actually have good insurance. Wouldn't even cost a copay. I don't want to waste the doctor's time if it's nothing they can do though.

I'd go then just to make sure it's straight and will heal up properly. They probably have a better handle on that stuff than I do, that's for sure.

 

[design_mom]

I don't think you'd be wasting the doctor's time to go. But last time my daughter broke hers, they didn't even x-ray it, they just had her "buddy tape" it to the next toe. They even cleared her to keep dancing on it as long as she could handle the pain.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’d go, but my podiatrist is a 2 minute drive. I spend about an hour on the treadmill every day, and if it was broken I’d be more careful. I’ve brought my daughters to drop in clinics for X-rays, but they play sports.

 

[Scifidiner]

I broke my toe once (playing hide and seek from my dog) I didn't go to the doctor and I'm in the medical field. I just taped it, wore comfortable shoes and waited for it to heal. It's really a waste of time/money unless it's necrotic or you have D.M.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Dad was a doc and when I broke two toes I mentioned it and he just laughed. (Thanks dad -- he saw more blood and gore in one day at work than I'll probably see in a lifetime.) Anyway, I taped the broken toes in place and wore comfortable shoes. Now that I live in a warmer climate and go barefoot around the house, I've been known to stub/break a pinky toe too many times. klutz. I stopped taping them because that hurts more than just letting them go "commando." When I have to go somewhere with a broken toe I just wear flip flops.

 

[LJSquishy]

All a doctor will do is tape it to the next toe. You can do that at home yourself. Your foot & toe might be bruised for weeks and it will take a while to heal.

 

[DLgal]

While it is true that they won't do anything but buddy tape it (which you should keep up for 6 weeks, by the way), the x-ray will show WHERE the break is, and whether or not it intrudes into the joint space, which can make a big difference down the road. So, since you have good insurance, I'd go. My 12 year old broke his pinky toe last fall and I took him to an Urgent Care with X Ray services, at the advice of his pediatrician, and his break was just outside the joint space, so no long term issues should erupt. As it was explained to me by the urgent care doctor, if a break intrudes into the joint capsule and/or includes a complete separation of bone within the joint space, surgery is sometimes needed to secure the bone in place with a pin to prevent long term damage to the joint. So, you definitely want to rule that out.

Also, they can give you a special shoe to wear that will make it easier to walk while it's swollen. Our insurance covered it 100% and the Urgent Care gave it to us.

My 71 year old dad broke his pinky finger as a teen, never saw a doctor (did the old "buddy tape it to the next one") and now his finger is permanently deformed and he can't bend it.

 

[laughinplace199]

I broke my pinky toe when I was 9 months pregnant with my first child (couldn't see my feet or where I was walking). I called the dr and she asked if it was swollen. I told her her that I'm 9 mos pregnant and EVERYTHING is swollen! Plus, I couldn't even get a good look at it. She told me to tape it to the next toe and take Tylenol for the pain. The worst was when I went into labor but wasn't progressing enough and they wanted me to walk around the hospital. I did, but it really hurt to walk that much!

 

[rlk]

I broke my toe once (playing hide and seek from my dog) I didn't go to the doctor and I'm in the medical field. I just taped it, wore comfortable shoes and waited for it to heal. It's really a waste of time/money unless it's necrotic or you have D.M.

Just two weeks ago, I injured my big toe playing hide and seek with my dog.

I broke my little toe twice. The second time I went to the doctor because my toe was at a 90 degree angle to the rest of my foot.

 

[disykat]

I went with the 3rd option for the "you don't need to, but go if it doesn't cost much" reason.

I buddy taped the first two times I broke toes, but the 3rd time I happened to have an appointment for something else. The dr. had me get an xray because he likes to see it. It was interesting to have the other breaks and how they had healed confirmed as well. I liked actually KNOWING it was broken and not having a zillion people fussing over why I didn't go to the doctor.

I don't really regret not going for the first because I was in my early 20's and only had catastrophic health insurance, but now that I have full coverage I'll go if I ever break more.

 

[LilyWDW]

I wouldn't waste my own time to go to the doctor (plus I would only go to MY doctor and that means taking PTO...). Just tape it up. A broken toe is not a huge deal for the vast majority of people.

Now, if you were a dancer or other athlete of some sort, it may be different.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I went with the 3rd option for the "you don't need to, but go if it doesn't cost much" reason.

I'm with @disykat - yes, 98% they'll just buddy tape it, but piece of mind for a co-pay (or less) is probably worth it.

Think of it this way - if you go, and they do the same thing you'd do at home, you'll regret it for the rest of the day (maybe the week if it really throws off your schedule). If you don't go, and you end up with permanent joint pain, you'll always wonder and wish you'd gone.

 

[Toolulu22]

I actually have good insurance. Wouldn't even cost a copay. I don't want to waste the doctor's time if it's nothing they can do though.

If it is the stub your pinky toe type of thing, there is really not much the doctor can do.

I’ve broken pretty much every toe, including a hairline on the big one- you just have to ice it, rest it, keep it from getting reinjured, and wait for it to heal. After the bruising is gone, some nice foot soaks in Empson Salts will sooth it.

 

[TikiBabe]

You could go to the doc, but usually in these situations they just have you tape it to the next toe and deal til it heals on it's own.