Broken toe: symptoms, treatment at home, recovery time and when to go to A&E

The NHS says doctors will usually suggest you treat a broken toe at home first if it is not your big toe, the bone is not sticking out, the toe is not pointing at an odd angle and there is no wound on the toe. These are the steps the NHS lists.

• Take ibuprofen or paracetamol for the pain and swelling. A pharmacist can advise on the best painkiller.

• Rest your foot and keep it raised while it is swollen.

• Hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel on your toe for up to 20 minutes every few hours for the first few days. Do not put ice directly on the skin.

• Wear wide, comfortable flat shoes with stiff soles. Do not wear tight, pointy shoes.

• Strap up the broken toe for 2 to 3 weeks: put a small piece of cotton wool or gauze between the sore toe and the toe next to it, then tape them together.

• Do not walk or stand for long periods for the first few days. It may help to walk with a support or crutches for a few weeks.

The NHS says you may have broken your toe if it is bruised or red, painful and swollen, and difficult to walk on. Bruising may be harder to see on brown and black skin. The Bedfordshire Hospitals leaflet describes the injury as a break of a bone in the toe (a phalanx fracture).

Because the treatment is usually the same for a bruised and a broken toe, an X-ray is not always needed. The NHS says the GP may send you for an X-ray to see if you need further treatment if the pain does not settle.

The NHS says broken toes usually heal within 4 to 6 weeks, but it can sometimes take several months. Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust says healing usually takes around 6 weeks, and that mild pain and swelling is normal for 3 to 6 months after your injury, with swelling often worse at the end of the day. Bedfordshire Hospitals gives 6 to 8 weeks for a phalanx fracture to heal.

Kingston and Richmond suggests stopping toe taping at weeks 3 to 6, returning to normal shoes when you can, and avoiding impact activities such as running, jumping and dancing for 6 to 12 weeks. The NHS says not to play sports such as football, rugby or hockey for 6 weeks or until the pain eases.

The NHS describes strapping the broken toe to its neighbour. Put a small piece of cotton wool or gauze between the sore toe and the toe next to it, then tape them together to support the sore toe. Kingston and Richmond adds that strapping protects the injured toe and makes it more comfortable, rather than helping healing, and that you can reduce how much you use it as the toe becomes less painful.

The NHS says not to strap up your toe if it is pointing out at an odd angle or you have hurt your big toe: get medical advice instead.

The NHS says to go to A&E if any of the following apply. Do not drive yourself to A&E: ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance, and bring any medicines you take.

• You think you have broken your big toe.

• Your toe is pointing out at an odd angle.

• The bone is sticking out of your toe.

• You feel tingling in your toe or foot, or it feels numb.

• Your child has hurt or broken their toe. The NHS says not to try to treat a child's toe yourself: take them to an urgent treatment centre or A&E.

• NHS 111 Wales also lists a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury.

The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have a bad cut or wound after injuring your toe or severe toe pain, as you may need further treatment in hospital such as a boot, cast or surgery.

See a GP if pain and swelling have not started to ease 5 days after you injured your toe, it still hurts to walk 6 weeks after the injury, or you have diabetes and have injured your toe, because foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes. Bedfordshire Hospitals advises contacting your GP or NHS 111 if you still have significant pain and swelling after 8 weeks.

Kingston and Richmond recommends starting gentle ankle and foot exercises straight away, within comfort, to promote blood flow and reduce the risk of a blood clot, and continuing until you have full movement in the foot. Both Kingston and Richmond and Bedfordshire Hospitals say that reducing or stopping smoking helps recovery, because smoking slows bone healing.

Most simple toe fractures are managed by self-care, a pharmacist or a GP, or at an urgent treatment centre or A&E when red flags apply. A follow-up appointment is not normally needed. Private clinics and podiatrists can arrange an X-ray and advice, but the same red-flag guidance applies, and a broken big toe or an open injury should be assessed in a hospital setting.