Is it broken?

Question:

How can you tell if a bone is broken? I fell a week ago and bumped my big toe, it was bruised but not anymore but it still hurts and it's swollen. I don't have any insurance right now so I don't want to pay the ER an arm and a leg if it's not even broke. Does anyone know how you can tell?

Answers:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6044_know-toe-br...

If it was broken you might not be able to move it and if you could it would hurt like hell.

* A visibly out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint
* Swelling, bruising, or bleeding
* Intense pain
* Numbness and tingling
* Broken skin with bone protruding
* Limited mobility or inability to move a limb

The injured toe should be looked at every day. Call a doctor if any of the following occur:

* Worsening or new pain not relieved by pain medication and the measures described in the treatment section

* Sores, redness, or open wounds near the injured toe

* A cast or splint is damaged or broken

Go to a hospital’s emergency department if the following signs or symptoms are present:

* Cold, numb, or tingling toes

* Blue or gray colored skin

* Open wounds, bleeding, or drainage from near the broken toe

The only sure way to know for sure if your toe is broken is to have it X-rayed.

x ray. but they can't do anything for toes anyhoo. I've broken all of mine, just tape it to the one next to it. Oh and ice it. It'll help for swelling and pain too.

I would mash it until a bone protrudes through the skin.

swelling can mean it might be broke ,but if you can move it , it probably is not.

I don't know how to tell if it's broken. But if you don't have insurance and since it's a toe why don't you tape it like they do with fingers?

I think that if you immobilize it as much as possible and raise your foot up as much as possible you might find that after a few days it will improve.

I hurt my ankle badly last year to the point where I couldn't bear any weight on it - I thought I broke it or part of my foot and I don't even remember how.
I ended up with more than $700 in doctors bills WITH insurance coverage and all they did was give me crutches, a thing to immobilize by ankle and told me to keep it raised (which is impossible for a mother). It wasn't broken at all, I strained or tore a little bit of the tendons - you know you have sooooo many tendons in our feet?! I didn't. I also took advil, which you should do too.

I hope you feel better!

Is it broken?

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