Question about a badly bruised toe?

Question

yesterday i dropped a piece of wood on my toe. it swelled up a lot and hurt pretty bad. today it doesn't really hurt anymore and the swelling has gone down. i don't think its broken, but its still a pretty nasty bruise and not comfortable to bend.

is there anything i should do about it or should i just leave it alone and let it heal?

Answer 1

Definitely try to rest it as much as possible. You could use arnica cream to apply as this will help with the bruising and healing. Hope you feel better soon  

Answer 2

Follow RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Except I don't think I'd go for compression here.

You can put ice on it for 15-20 minutes at a time to help reduce the swelling, but no more than once an hour. That's best during the first 48 hours.

Keep it elevated as much as possible. Don't try to bend it any more than you have to. It will take a while to heal.

Since the swelling went down so quickly, I think you're OK - but remember we aren't medical professionals here, so if you want total peace of mind, you know what to do. I didn't think I'd broken my ankle one time but a doctor friend came over to look at it and said hmm - it doesn't look bad, but let's x-ray that. Sure enough, it was broken.

Answer 3

If it was broken it would be more than uncomfortable today. Also the swelling wouldn't have gone down. Just give it a few days. I injured my foot about 3 weeks ago and it still hurts to walk on it. Nothing broken in my foot though and it was a solid black bruise for two weeks.