UKC

My daughter slipped coming down the stairs yesterday evening and hurt her toes. Was painful to walk, gave her some painkillers and said we'd see how it was today.

Today, her toe is a bit swollen and it's bruised all round the base of the middle toe and into the meta-tarsal area a bit. The swelling is very minor and the bruising is only a light brown, as opposed to purple. She can bend the toe but says it is painful to do so and she can't apply pressure on that part of her foot when walking.

I don't think it is broken, possibly just staved (can you stave toes???)

Anyway, she was supposed to be competing in the inter schools cross country today, but that's out the window

Next problem, she has the 2nd round of the Youth Climbing Series this Saturday. Anyone staved their toe (or possibly minorly fractured it) and climbed on it after 5 days?

And finally, I'm thinking I shouldn't bother taking her to get it x-rayed as they won't be able to do anything for it anyway. So, how do you tape 2 toes together?

In reply to SonyaD:

With ordinary plaster tape.

I did this when I broke my little toe. Taping helped a lot. It took about 2 months to heal, but with taping I was able to still do most things albeit painfully!

In reply to Trangia: Thanks. I managed to tape it with some plaster tape, with padding between the toes. Having googled images of broken toes and sprained toes, I think she has just sprained it, rather than fractured it. But if it's not better in a few days I'll take her to get it x-rayed. Finger's crossed it's just a minor sprain as that should be ok in 2-3 days. She'll be gutted if she can't climb.

In reply to SonyaD:

Bummer Sonj, But if you remember Dylans climb off at the final last year at Ratho, he edged all the way up the climb & won his category! That was after really badly bruising/staving his toe beforehand. Keep her on Ibuprofen, and keep icing it to keep any inflamation down & I'm sure it'll be fine.

In reply to Bill Davidson: Ooooh, cheers Bill! I might take her to the wall tomorrow and see how she fares then (if she can get her climbing shoes on without any pain) Need to go to chemist for some ibuprofen, she's just taken paracetemol. Bit nervous about giving her ibuprofen as I'm allergic to it. <and I'm a firm believer that a bit of initial inflammation is good to aid healing>

In reply to SonyaD:
My big toe is not 100% better over a year on. Then again I'm not a weeun.

Look up turf toe on google.

In reply to CurlyStevo: Bummer. She's not got turf toe, that affects the joint of the big toe no? It's her middle toe and the pain and bruising is on the upper surface of the foot and toe, hopefully just a slight ligament stretch rather than the actual joint capsule.

In reply to SonyaD:

I would take her for x ray. If it's not broken- good. If it is, she will be able to lay off from sports to give it a chance to heal, and not be overdoing it/ possibly damaging it in the meantime.
If she is sporty that will be a blow to her, but better that than a damaged toe that causes chronic problems.

In reply to Wee Davie: Don't see the point in taking her for an x-ray at this moment as the treatment will be exactly the same. Rest, taping, ice etc (I wasn't serious about letting her climb tomorrow, too soon!)
If it's still sore after 2-3 days this would suggest more than a minor sprain I should think, so will then take her for an x-ray.

In reply to SonyaD:

Just to add a note of caution, if it is broken and its not x rayed soon enough it could be too late for them to do any teatment if some were possible/necessary, especially if its a bone in the foot rather than the toe that is broken (a friend had experience of this last year!).

Hope it heals soon for her- I broke a little toe a few years ago and it hurt like a hurty thing!
Cat

In reply to freerangecat: Didn't think of that. How long did your friend leave it to get x-rayed?

In reply to SonyaD:

To be fair, I think they left it a few weeks, but nothing could be done because it had started to knit.

In reply to freerangecat: Cool, ta (well, not cool for your mate of course!) If RB's toe is still the same by Fri then I will take her to have it x-rayed.