Bruised toe: symptoms, first aid, treatment

What does an ordinary person do when he hastily hits the corner of a wall with his toe - little toe or big? Screams, swears, shakes his injured leg, grabs the bruised place. When the pain subsides a little, he puts on his shoes, despite the discomfort, and goes to work.

Surely everyone is familiar with a similar situation, as well as the further actions of a person who has suffered a bruised toe. But are we doing the right thing by not taking such shell shocks very seriously, do we correctly understand the consequences of such a blow?

Let's try to figure out what a bruise is, what complications it can cause, how to properly treat it, and how to treat it.

Structure and functions

Each finger is a joint of tubular bones - phalanges, connected by joints. Eight out of ten fingers have three phalanges:

• basic;
• average;
• terminal.

Only two large ones - two phalanges.

The metatarsals hold all the major phalanges on the central part of the foot. The motor activity of the fingers is carried out due to the contraction of tendon fibers, which are driven by the muscles of the ankle. The feet perform the most important functions for a person in his daily life. Due to their structure, they provide a strong support for a person when he stands. It is the toes that help the foot maintain the necessary balance during movement.

If a person needs to lean forward, the toes come to the rescue. They rest firmly on the floor and prevent the body from falling forward.

Complications

Failure to promptly treat the injury can lead to arthrosis in the future.
If finger bruises are not treated in a timely manner, the affected area may become inflamed and a bacterial infection may develop. This condition threatens the development of sepsis, which can be fatal. Also, an untreated toe will become deformed, and this will cause problems when walking, since the load on the foot will be distributed unevenly. Injuries to the limbs and joints often lead to the development of arthritis and osteomyelitis.

Toe injuries

Despite all its outstanding qualities, the foot is still one of the most vulnerable parts of the human skeleton, since it not only bears its weight and serves as a support for it, but also comes into contact with many objects during motor functions:

• sudden movements;
• stumbling;
• sudden swings;
• falls.

Due to this amount of activity, injuries often occur, with the toes being the most affected. They require mandatory, immediate treatment, without which the bruised finger may not fully adapt.

What should you do first? It is important to find out if your finger is broken. To do this, you need to understand the symptoms of fractures and simple bruises - how to distinguish them from each other.

The severity of the injury affects its course and further recovery.

1. The first degree is characterized by slight damage to the skin with the formation of abrasions.
2. The second involves the formation of swelling on the injured finger with acute pain that does not subside for a long time.
3. The third degree is characterized by damage not only to the skin, but also to tissues.
4. The fourth is a dangerous injury that often ends in fractures.

Rehabilitation

The duration of the rehabilitation period depends on the severity of the injury and associated injuries.

Final recovery for minor injuries will occur after one to two weeks. Subsequently, minor discomfort may occur if the load is placed on the affected finger.

More severe injuries require systematic treatment and a longer period of time - several months.

If a nail is rejected, it will take at least two months for a new one to grow. During this period, you need to follow the doctor’s recommendations and treat your finger with medicinal products.

Photo 2. With proper treatment, the bruise will go away without a trace. : Flickr (Amy Heague).

Symptoms

The general symptoms of a bruised toe and a fracture are very different:

• by the nature of the pain syndrome;
• time of occurrence of edema;
• by external signs.

For example, a severe bruise is caused by fading pain that disappears after a short period of time. Moreover, the most long-term pain comes from a bruise of the joint of the big toe and may not go away within a day.

The signs of a broken toe are different from a bruise.

If a fracture occurs, the pain not only does not subside, but intensifies so that the injured finger is not even possible to bend.

Swelling and subcutaneous hemorrhages are inherent in both a fracture and a bruise, the only difference is that with a fracture they occur instantly, and a bruise provokes swelling gradually.

A bruised big toe can result in discoloration and peeling of the nail.

The most striking examples of distinctive symptoms are the unnatural position of the broken finger, the appearance of blood under the nail and the crunching of the bones upon palpation.

Signs indicating immediate hospitalization for a victim with a severely bruised toe:

• immediate onset of edema;
• increasing pain;
• darkening of the nail plate;
• crepitation (crunching);
• the appearance of blood under the nail.

If at least one sign indicating a fracture is present, treatment should not be limited to home remedies - the victim is immediately taken to a medical facility to refute or confirm suspicions using an x-ray.

Four degrees of severity of bruises

At grade 1, minor damage is noticeable in the form of scratches, bruises, and mild swelling. No special treatment is required; the bruise goes away on its own in two to four days.

In grade 2 , the pain is so severe that at first the person cannot move the injured finger. When the pain subsides, noticeable swelling appears. Good health will be restored no sooner than in a week or two.

With grade 3 , resulting from very severe bruises, the joint may also be damaged, often such an injury is accompanied by a dislocation. The finger swells and a large bruise forms. His mobility is limited. The bruised area cannot be touched without causing pain. Treatment may last several weeks.

Note! If the entire load of the impact falls on the thumbnail, then often during the recovery process darkening of the nail and its peeling are observed.

In grade 4 , the bruise is accompanied by the most severe injuries: dislocation, fracture, and bones may be crushed. The leg cannot function normally. Treatment is carried out in a hospital setting.

First aid

The question that arises is: “What should you do first when you stub your toe?” directly depends on the degree of its damage. In case of a minor injury, the victim does not need to be seen by a specialist, but can be treated with home remedies.

If a toe is bruised, what should the person next to the victim do at home?

• Carefully examine the site of injury, check the flexion-extension functions of the toes. If they are broken, then a fracture has occurred and this is no longer a minor injury. The victim needs to go to the hospital.
• Apply a cold compress to the injured area.
• Disinfect the injury site in case of abrasions.
• Apply a tight bandage.
• Elevate your foot to prevent circulatory problems.
• Give the victim a pain reliever.
• Provide complete rest to the injured leg.

In order for first aid for a bruised toe to be provided correctly, you need to find means to cool the damaged area. This can be ice from the freezer, or a towel soaked in cold water.

Why is this so important? The fact is that cold prevents the spread of edema, which puts pressure on the nerve bundles of the phalanx. There is a direct connection effect here - the more the nerve endings are compressed, the stronger the pain will be and the longer it will not go away. Moreover, an important condition for cold treatment is to apply it within the first 15 minutes after injury.

To provide first aid, there is no difference between a bruise and a fracture - in both cases, you need to carry out pre-medical treatment of a bruised toe at home, using the drugs that are at hand.

Anatomical and physiological features

Each toe has its own name: big, index, middle, ring and little fingers. All of them, except the thumb, consist of 3 tubular bones called phalanges: proximal (main), median and distal (end). The thumb has only 2 phalanges: proximal and distal. The phalanges have articular surfaces, where they are connected to each other by movable joints.

The bones of the toes are surrounded by a layer of fiber containing nerves and blood vessels

Each bone is surrounded by a layer of fiber, in the thickness of which, on the sides of the phalanges, there are vessels and nerves that provide innervation and blood supply to this area. On the dorsal and plantar surfaces there are tendons attached to the nail and middle phalanges.

In terms of the degree of innervation and blood supply, the lower extremities are inferior to the upper extremities. This especially needs to be taken into account for bruised toes in elderly patients and people with the following diseases:

• diabetes;
• atherosclerosis;
• obliteration of arteries;
• varicose veins of the legs;
• other concomitant diseases that impair blood flow in the lower extremities.

In the absence of adequate first aid and proper treatment, patients with these pathologies increase the risk of complications, development of trophic ulcers, bacterial and fungal infections, etc.

The trigger mechanism leading to disarticulation or amputation at various levels of the lower limb in patients with diabetes mellitus is bruised damage to these parts, especially with a violation of the integrity of the skin.

Another feature is the presence of denser skin compared to the skin of the fingers. This aggravates the course of bruised wounds, due to increased tension in the damaged area and increased pain.

Functions of the toes

Being an important part of the musculoskeletal system, the toes perform the following functions:

1. Maintaining coordination during movement when the center of gravity changes.
2. Participation together with the foot in receiving body weight during walking, running and other movements.

Treatment

How to treat a bruised toe and using which of the three methods (medication, physiotherapy, surgery), only a doctor can say for sure after a thorough examination and examination of the victim.

If a toe is slightly bruised, treatment and pain relief will most likely be carried out by rubbing in anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments, as well as taking vitamin preparations.

If the hematoma is too large, it is opened in a hospital setting to avoid suppuration. This surgical method promotes faster recovery of the injury.

A fracture of the little finger or a bruised big toe can be cured by resorting to physiotherapeutic procedures, which, in combination with drug treatment, give good results.

Many injuries require the application of plaster braces, which are good aids in their recovery.

How to treat a bruised toe

To treat bruises, both medications and physiotherapy, as well as folk remedies, are used with equal success. In some cases, surgical treatment is required.

Medications

To reduce inflammation, relieve swelling and relieve pain, ointments are prescribed:

• Ibuprofen,
• Ketonal,
• Indovazin,
• Ketoprofen,
• Troxevasin,
• Voltaren gel,
• Badyaga,
• Heparin ointment.

Note! If the pain does not go away for a long time, mobility is not restored, and a large hematoma persists, contact a specialist.

Physiotherapy

To resolve bruises and quickly restore tissue, the affected area of ​​the body is subjected to physiotherapeutic procedures:

• electrophoresis,
• magnetotherapy,
• UHF,
• ozone therapy,
• warming up with dry heat.

Surgical procedures

Surgeon intervention is required if drug therapy and physiotherapy have no effect . Surgery is also used if the soft tissue and bones of the finger are crushed due to a bruise. The presence of a large hematoma is also eliminated through surgery: it is opened to speed up the recovery process of the finger. In some cases, the damaged nail plate is removed.

Folk remedies

All of the following recipes should be used no earlier than the second or third day after injury:

1. Plantain (leaves): Grind to a paste. Apply for 3 hours 2 times a day. Instead of ground leaves, you can apply a compress soaked in plantain juice.
2. Bodyaga (powder): dilute with water, lubricate the sore spot and cover with a bandage. The exposure time is half a day, then you should change the compress to a new one.
3. Fresh potatoes : grate. Apply to your finger for 20 minutes three times a day.
4. Cabbage (leaves): make many small cuts on the fleshy leaf to allow the juice to come out, wrap your finger and change the leaf every half hour.
5. Ledum : take 10 g of herb for 1 glass of water. Cook the broth over low heat, boiling for 15 minutes. After straining, apply, lightly rubbing, twice a day.
6. St. John's wort : in 400 ml of boiling water - 20 g of herb, simmer over low heat until the volume is reduced by half. Take 1 tablespoon orally 3-4 times a day.
7. Iodine : apply in the form of a mesh to the hematoma to accelerate resorption.

This is interesting! You can reduce the pain from a minor bruise by applying a copper coin. To enhance the therapeutic effect, it is better to first hold it in cold water.

Prevention

Preventive measures to prevent bruises of the lower extremities include the following recommendations.

• it is necessary to consume calcium and vitamin complexes to strengthen the bone structure;
• you need to play sports to generally strengthen the body;
• It is necessary to observe safety precautions in the home and at work.

What other advice can you give to all of us? Move carefully, take your time and don’t hit yourself. But since the trouble has already happened, you need to be fully armed and know how to act correctly.

Causes and consequences

A finger injury can happen to anyone. Often the doctor is faced with the task of treating a bruise of the little finger and first toe. It is precisely these parts of the human body that are predominantly affected at the moment of a collision with some object. Nothing could be easier than running and hitting your finger on a sofa or table leg, and a large hematoma immediately appears. This is usually how most household injuries occur.

The causative factor may be the fall of a heavy object onto the lower limb from a sufficiently high height. It’s enough to drop a heavy book, which will cause an injury to your leg. In athletes, injuries to the thumb occur during training (for example, in a football player while chasing the ball).

The consequences are sometimes not entirely so harmless. A blow that seems light at first glance can cause not only blue discoloration but also a crack in the bone structure. A dislocation in a joint is also not the most pleasant outcome of an injury. Swelling and local pain are common consequences of bruising a toe.

What is the characteristic of a bruise? Symptoms and types

For us, a contusion is an ordinary bruise, abrasion, or blunt trauma. However, this phenomenon has its own quite clear and understandable definition. From a medical point of view, this is an injury to soft tissues, joints of varying severity due to an impact on a hard surface, the fall of a heavy object, etc. If we are talking about an injury to the fingers, and most often to one, then most likely it is either the little finger or the thumb - the extreme and most “unlucky” ones. Foot injuries occur more often in the summer, when children wear open shoes or run barefoot. In any case, assistance should be provided depending on the nature of the damage, which we will discuss further.

Symptomatic picture

Damage to the phalanges of the foot is characterized by a certain feature:

• pain in the injured area;
• swelling;
• hyperemia of the skin;
• hematoma.

When, after the blow, the finger becomes swollen and some pain appears, in all likelihood there is a bruise. The most intense pain will be felt immediately during the injury itself. When hitting the little finger, most will notice severe pain. This is due to the presence of a large number of nerve endings in the skin of the fingers. Even a light blow can lead to severe pain, regardless of possible damage. The intense soreness lasts for about two to five minutes and then begins to subside. If the pain does not go away, then perhaps after injury a crack or even a fracture has formed in the bone structure.

What actions are contraindicated in case of injury?

If your toes are damaged, you should know what not to do, since careless actions can significantly harm the patient:

• 
  You cannot heat or steam a bruise on the first day.
  Rub and massage. When performing such manipulations, the patient may experience blockage of the veins.

• Steam the damaged area. During the first day, you cannot use heat, including using a heating pad.
• Develop the damaged finger by bending and straightening it. Such actions are especially contraindicated in cases of damage to joints, bones, and cartilage. They should be adjusted by a doctor.
• Use medications without a doctor's prescription. This measure is not allowed, especially in case of severe bruises that are accompanied by other injuries.

You should not ignore the problem that has arisen, even if it seems that the damage to your toes is not so significant. Complications may soon arise.

In no case! What could make the situation worse?

As they say, sometimes, wanting to help, but not knowing how, we only make things worse.
It is advisable not to give any painkillers, especially aspirin, which can not only increase bleeding, but also make it difficult for a doctor to make a diagnosis. If a child complains of severe and unbearable pain, it is still better to call an ambulance. Do not try to heat or rub the sore spot. Heat provokes blood flow to the tissues, their swelling, and in the presence of wounds, it can create a favorable environment for infection.

If you suspect a dislocation or fracture, it is still better not to try to set the finger or leg yourself, but if there is a fracture, try to palpate the limb, force the child to move it or lean on the sore leg.