Broken toe

A broken toe can be painful, but you don't usually need to go to hospital. There are things you can do to treat it at home.

Check if you have a broken toe

You may have broken your toe if it's:

• red or bruised
• painful and swollen
• difficult to walk on

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

• you think you've broken your big toe
• your toe is pointing out at an odd angle
• the bone is sticking out of your toe
• you have a bad cut or wound after injuring your toe
• there was a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• you have severe pain
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your toe or foot
• it's your child that has hurt or broken their toe

You may need further treatment in hospital such as a boot, cast or surgery.

Find an urgent treatment centre

What you can do about a broken toe

Doctors will usually suggest you treat a broken toe at home first if:

• it's not your big toe
• the bone isn't sticking out of your foot
• your toe isn't pointing at an odd angle
• there is no wound on your toe

Broken toes usually heal within 4 to 6 weeks, but it can sometimes take several months.

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take
• what you need to strap up your toe
• if you need to see a GP

See a GP if:

• the pain and swelling hasn't started to ease after 2 to 3 days
• it still hurts to walk on after 6 weeks
• you have diabetes – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

They may send you for an X-ray to see if you need any further treatment.