Stubbed toe – A&E?

Stubbed toes yesterday, really badly, like nothing I’ve ever done before. Screaming in pain for 10mins at the time, but pain subsided after that so I could walk on it very gingerly for the rest of the day.

Woken up this morning, plenty of bruising of the toes, and some (mild) swelling of the foot where toes attach. I can just about put full weight on it, but anything dynamic like walking is way beyond my pain threshold. Does this suggest sever bruising or fractures or something else?

So is it worth a visit to A&E? Would they be able to help in any way?

Also, any home treatment advice. Just stay off it i guess?

Ta,
UH

Got a minor injuries unit? Best bet. though my broken toe just got on with it, other broken stuff with I’d had seen so get checked

Not much they can do with toe’s. Stubbed mine badly once, bruised my whole foot. Was getting ready for a house party, and kicked the hoover. Lots of beer later and thought my foot was throbbing, black and blue at this point !

Depends if you fancy the wait at A&E – that generally puts me off. Banged up my shoulder last year on the MTB, and didn’t go – just went to my physio a few days later who confirmed it wasn’t broken !

You’ve left it way too late to go to A&E as they’ve just finished clearing out the alcohol related injuries from last night, but it’s now full of amateur sports injuries from rugby and football. Too early for the mountain bikers though…
Go to your local walk-in-centre.

GP on Monday or minor injuries unit.

FWIW I broke my toe many years ago and the bone growth around the joint as it healed was astounding. Ill probably get arthritis in it as s result

Worst of my toe stubs was similar. Went to walk in. They reckoned it was broken but their x-ray guy didn’t do weekends so sent me to A&E.

3hrs in A&E, x-ray, just bruised, said it would hurt like hell a while, which it did. Like many I’ve done, nail goes black and falls out six months later.

Wish people would stop recommending the “walk in”. I think I’d only manage the hop-in!

Local minor injury doen’t have x-ray till tomorrow morning. A&E 10min drive away has x-ray 24/7. Might give 111 a call.

I’d be tempted to wait until Monday, you aren’t going to cause any more damage by waiting and (ime) it’ll take you less time to get the x-ray. In a&e you’ll be triaged to the back of the queue, unfortunately..

Take some painkillers, keep your foot up on a stool and use an ice pack/frozen peas on it. You could always strap your toes to each other to keep them lined up if you suspect they are broken. Can’t see A&E doing anything more.

What is A&E / an xray going to achieve? You will know if bones a broken when it doesn’t stop hurting after a couple of days.

If broken will take at least a month to heal. Best / only thing you can do is tape your toes together and learn a funny walk stay off your feet as much as poss.

Did the same 2 weeks ago and my toe is still painful and swollen (looks like sausage about to burst 😆 ) rest, ice, pain relief, Man/Woman up twinkle toes

UrbanHiker – Member
Wish people would stop recommending the “walk in”

Ah. Sorry. But there anyway. 😉

Well, I’m just finishing day 5 laid up in hospital, on IV antibiotics from a blister on the end of my toe that became infected, to try and prevent losing it entirely.

See someone, ideally a professional

You will know if bones a broken when it doesn’t stop hurting after a couple of days.

Pain and/or loss of function is a very poor indicator for fractures unforts..

Drac – your choices don’t include a minor injuries / walk in clinic option nor do they suggest where you go with putative fractures?

FWIW I ran into a kerb in the dark 10+ yrs ago and smashed a big toe. Minor injuries the following day who then referred to fracture clinic. They seriously considered surgery to rebuild the joint (I wasn’t too keen but probably should have as it still causes me minor problems now).

Beware if you hobble around for a few weeks you will change how/which muscles you use, and may require some physio to get full mobility in joints that weren’t even injured in the first place. It took me years to understand my ankle and calf issues were caused by a broken big toe.

If the bone or joint is displaced then surgery may well be required

Drac – your choices don’t include a minor injuries / walk in clinic option nor do they suggest where you go with putative fractures?

We don’t have one. Only place with X-ray is A&E.

Didn’t Bob Marley die from a bad toe?

I know it’s a bit of a crap one, you don’t need to A&E for an X-ray you GP can refer you.

zippykona – Member
Didn’t Bob Marley die from a bad toe?

Much as I love bob, did he no die from stupidity?

zippykona – Member
Didn’t Bob Marley die from a bad toe?

Jack Daniel, of bourbon fame, did.

Stubbed his toe, which went gangrenous…

Try again.

Just looked up online and my nearest Minor Injuries Unit is in the Emergency Department, go figure.

They can be in the same building.

I went to a chiropodist when I stubbed mine. AE said it was fine but it hurt like hell for a week so I went to a chirpodist, he xrayed it and found a tiny tiny chip in the joint. Nothing you can do though, took about 6 weeks to heal.

Is A&E still the right place to go with a break if you don’t have a minor injuries? Not sure where else I’d have to go, especially if I broke myself on a Friday evening or something.

The GP on Monday advice above is perhaps the funniest thing i’ve heard in ages
4 weeks wait minimum at mine

Mmmm my minor injuries unit appears to be the A&E Department at the local hospital.
Confusing? Not much.

Not confusing at all they are sometimes next door to each other.

Not confusing at all they are sometimes next door to each other.

When I do a search on minor injuries units near me, the top return is A&E at Perth Royal Infirmary, not Minor Injuries Unit at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Drac – Moderator
I know it’s a bit of a crap one, you don’t need to A&E for an X-ray you GP can refer you.

3 weeks for a GP appointment and another 3 for the referral to the fracture clinic. Probably more than that as GP will pack you off first to self treat. Referrals are only done reluctantly after you’ve come back a couple more times.

Though true for a broken toe there’s little to be done, but on the other hand it could be ligament damage. I had a finger avulsion fracture (ligament tearing bone away), which definitely needed sorting out.

Big toe? The NHS take big toe breaks seriously (I know this from painful experience), and recommend an A+E visit if you suspect you have one.

Give a&e a call- ask if they’re flat out. If not, pop up. Just avoid Saturday local football times and booze night out times.

As above, pretty cautious with big toes, long term complications can be fairly significant. While it isn’t life threatening, it would be sensible to present somewhere with X-ray facilities, if that’s Minor injury unit tomorrow that would seem reasonable.

3 weeks for a GP appointment and another 3 for the referral to the fracture clinic.

I can get a GP ring back within hours who may either arrange an appointment that day, x-ray after that or without seeing them the same day and a fracture clinic the day after that.

Same as drac here…

+1 get it checked.

Took one of my toes off the shoe rack last year, dropped like a sack of manure.

Turned out I’d spiral fractured it and it was very worthwhile getting it checked. If it has been unstable or done the joint would have been knifey time.