How to make a broken little toe bandage

Broken toe is a common injury, especially the little toe (smallest finger) because it is more prone to tripping and bumping. ^{[1] X Source of Research} Unlike a broken big toe that often requires a cast or splint, the treatment of a broken little toe usually only requires a fixation technique on the adjacent toe and can be done at home . However, cases where the toe is crooked, bruised, misaligned, or the bone is protruding from the skin requires emergency care.

Table of Contents

Broken toe bandage

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Determine if the dressing method is appropriate. Most fractures of the toe, including the little toe, fall under the category of “fatigue fractures,” also known as fractures, which manifest as small cracks in the surface of the bone. ^{[2] X Source of Study} Fractures are usually painful, with swelling and/or bruising at the tip of the foot, but the bone is not crooked, crushed, or protruding into the skin. Thus, simple fractures can be treated with dressings, while more complex fractures will require other medical procedures, such as surgery, casts or splints.

Go to the hospital for an x-ray of your foot if the pain doesn’t improve significantly after a few days. Fractures may be difficult to see on an x-ray if the fracture is severely swollen.
If the toe is not very swollen, your doctor may recommend a bone scan to confirm a fracture.
Fractures can occur with the little toe due to overtraining (running or doing too much aerobics, for example), poor technique in the gym, injury from tripping the toe or being injured. A heavy object fell, and the ankle was severely sprained.

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Wash your feet and toes. Whenever you treat a wound with an adhesive bandage, you should also clean the wound first. This step helps to remove bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause an infection (such as fungus), and also clears dirt and debris that could prevent the bandage from sticking to the toe. ^{[3] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source} Warm water and ordinary soap are sufficient to clean feet and toes.

If you want to thoroughly clean your feet/toes and remove the skin’s natural oils, you can use gel or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Be sure to dry your toes and toes thoroughly before placing gauze or bandages.

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Place gauze or felt in between your toes. Once you’ve determined that your little toe is broken but not too severe, the first step in the taping technique is to place a piece of gauze, felt, or a piece of cotton cloth between your little and lateral fingers. edge (pinkie). ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} This step helps prevent skin irritation and blistering when the bandage holds the toes together. The prevention of skin irritation/blistering is also to reduce the risk of infection.

Use enough sterile gauze, felt, or cotton cloth between your little finger and ring finger so that it doesn’t fall off easily before wrapping it in place with tape.
If your skin is sensitive to medical tape (easily irritated or itchy because of the adhesive), wrap gauze around your pinky and ring fingers to seal before putting them back on.

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Bandage your little finger and ring finger together. After placing gauze or cloth between your toes, you will use a medical bandage or surgical bandage to loosely bandage the two fingers together. This is a two toe taping technique in which the little toe is used as a splint to support, stabilize and protect the broken little toe. ^{[5] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to source} Wrap the bandage from the base of the toe up to about 0.5 cm from the tip of the toe. Wrap 2 layers of tape with 2 separate pieces of tape so it doesn’t get too tight.

Bandages that are too tight will block blood circulation, causing the tips of the toes to turn blue. The toes will feel numb or stinging if wrapped too tightly.
Reduced blood flow to the toe will also slow down the healing process, so you need to make sure the wrap is firm but loose enough for blood to flow normally.
If medical or surgical tape is not available (available at pharmacies), you can use cloth tape, electrical tape, or small Velcro (thin sheets).
Most toe fractures take about 4 weeks to heal, so be prepared to wear a bandage for most of this time.

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Change dressings and gauze daily. Bandaging two toes together to support and help the toe heal is an ongoing process, not just a one-off. If you shower every day, you will need to cover it up every day, as gauze or wet cloth will not be effective in preventing blistering, and water will dissolve the adhesive of the tape. ^{[6] X Source of Research} Therefore, you should remove the bandages and gauze after bathing and use a dry dressing to cover it after the feet are clean and dry.

If you shower every other day, you can leave it on for an extra day before you re-bandage your toe, unless your feet are wet for some reason, such as being caught in the rain or flooded.
You can use waterproof medical/surgical tape to avoid frequent dressing changes, but you’ll still need to cover it up every time the gauze/lining gets wet (even if it’s just damp).
Be sure not to wear the bandage too thickly (even if it’s loose) as it can be difficult for the foot to fit into the shoe. Excessively layered bandages also make the toes more prone to overheating and sweating.

Apply home remedies to care for broken toes

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Apply ice or cold compress. Even before your doctor diagnoses a toe fracture, you should apply ice or cold packs when you have a musculoskeletal injury to reduce inflammation and numb the area to reduce pain. Use crushed ice wrapped in a thin towel (to prevent frostbite) or a frozen pack on the front of the foot. ^{[7] X Trusted Source MedlinePlus Go to the source} Frozen vegetable bags also work as cold packs.

Apply cold compresses for no more than 20 minutes at a time to the outer cheeks of the feet. Apply this therapy 3-5 times a day for the first few days after the injury.
Use an elastic bandage to wrap an ice pack or cold gel pack around the toes of the foot for better results, as pressure also helps reduce swelling.

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Elevate the foot to reduce inflammation. While applying ice to the outside of your foot to reduce swelling, you should also elevate your foot. ^{[8] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} Elevating the foot reduces blood flow to the toe, which in turn also reduces inflammation in the wound. Elevate your legs whenever possible (before, during, and after applying ice) above your heart for best results.

When sitting on the sofa, you should use a footrest or a few pillows to prop your legs/feet higher than your heart.
When lying in bed, you can use pillows, folded blankets or pillows to support your legs.
Try to elevate both legs at the same time so as not to cause pain or discomfort in the hips, pelvis, and/or low back.

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Cut back on walking, jogging, and other exercise. An important element in home care for a broken toe is rest and relaxation. In fact, the primary and recommended treatment for all foot fractures is to rest the foot. So avoid the activity that caused the fracture and all other weight-bearing exercises (walking, jogging, hiking) that force weight on the outside of the foot for about 3-4 weeks. ^{[9] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Cycling is still a good option for training and staying in shape, as long as you can put the part near your heels on the pedals and away from your toes.
Swimming is a non-weight-bearing exercise and is suitable for broken toes when the swelling and pain have subsided. Don’t forget to bandage your toes after swimming.

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Take short-term over-the-counter pain relievers. A broken toe is always painful, even if it’s just a fracture, and pain management is an important part of the recovery process. So, in addition to cold therapy to numb the pain, you should also consider taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or a pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylep). ^{[10] X Research Source} To minimize side effects such as stomach irritation, you should only take the drug for a short period of less than 2 weeks if taken daily. In the simplest cases of fractures, you only need to take the medicine for 3-5 days.

The group of NSAIDs includes ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and aspirin (Excedrin). NSAIDs are more effective in fractures by reducing swelling, which pain relievers do not. However, NSAIDs such as naproxen can slow the healing process, so it should be used with caution. ^{[11] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}
Aspirin shouldn’t be given to children, and ibuprofen isn’t for babies – you should give your child acetaminophen only if they need pain relief.

Advice

If you go in for an x-ray and are diagnosed with a little toe fracture, your doctor will probably instruct you to band your toes together before you leave the clinic.
You should not use the two-toe banding technique if you have advanced diabetes or have peripheral artery disease, as the reduction in blood flow caused by the foot band may increase the risk of necrosis or tissue death.
During the time of a broken toe bandage, you should wear shoes with a wide, stiff sole for more space and better toe protection. Avoid wearing sandals or running shoes for at least 4 weeks.
When symptoms subside after about a week, your doctor may order another x-ray to see if the bone has healed.
Uncomplicated fractures can heal in about 6 weeks, depending on the age and physical condition of each person.
Once pain and swelling have subsided (1-2 weeks), you can slowly increase your weight-bearing capacity by standing and walking a little more each day.

Steps

Broken toe bandage

Apply home remedies to care for broken toes

Advice

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