How to Treat a Broken Toe

Video Transcript

"You know at some point in time we're all going to incur injuries to our fingers and toes. Hi, I'm Captain Joe Bruni, and what I'm going to talk about is how to properly treat a broken toe. The first step is to assess the region of the foot that's been injured and the toe itself. It may be possible to lay the person down and elevate the foot higher than their chest area to reduce blood flow for a short time. Many times, with a broken toe, there will be discoloration of the skin and angulation of the toe itself. Also, some type of rigid material like this tongue depressor or even this commercially bought stabilizer for digits can be used and placed over the toe itself and wrapped in place. If we're using something like the tongue depressor, many times, it's advisable to cut it to length and then tape it to the broken toe and to the toes next to it, and this way it will help to stabilize the toe and keep it from moving. Also, after stabilization of the toe has occurred, some type of commercial ice pack or ice itself can be applied to reduce swelling and pain until the person can be taken for medical help at the emergency department for an x-ray. Broken toes and fingers can be a pretty painful experience, but with proper treatment and care, pain and swelling can be reduced long before the person is taken to the emergency department. I'm Captain Joe Bruni. Stay safe and we'll see you next time."