I just accidentally smacked my little toe really hard. The tip of the toe doesn't seem to be changing color, but the body of the little toe has turned purple all around the toe. What should I do to help it heal? Should I see a doctor?

It's now bruised and could be broken. Can you wiggle it along with your other toes on that foot?

Does it hurt to walk?

It's now bruised and could be broken. Can you wiggle it along with your other toes on that foot?

Does it hurt to walk?

I can move the toe and wiggle it and walk on it, but it perpetually aches and hurts to touch.

Well glad to know you did not do it on purpose and it was a accident.

To be honest bruised or broken, there is little they do for a broken toe, in fact after having three in last 15 years, they do nothing, they x-ray it, tell you its broken and charge you 500 dollars.

Years ago, my mother broke her big toe after ramming it up against the metal kitchen table leg as she was hurrying to answer the door. It was a spiral break, so the doctor put her foot and leg into a full plaster cast. :D

A bruise and discolorations usually take two weeks to heal and disappear. You can soak your foot in warm water into which you have added Epsom salts, or just the warm water, 15 minutes maybe twice a day. Wear shoes that are comfortable. Some doctors will tape the toe to the one next to it in order to keep the damaged toe from moving.

Let us know how things are going!

There are devices to tape to the sole of your foot to keep the toe off the ground while it heals (or you could use a toy plastic hockey puck, or anything similar). Talk to a pharmacist. It's true about breaks not being worth paying a doctor to X ray.

Years ago, my mother broke her big toe after ramming it up against the metal kitchen table leg as she was hurrying to answer the door. It was a spiral break, so the doctor put her foot and leg into a full plaster cast. :D

A bruise and discolorations usually take two weeks to heal and disappear. You can soak your foot in warm water into which you have added Epsom salts, or just the warm water, 15 minutes maybe twice a day. Wear shoes that are comfortable. Some doctors will tape the toe to the one next to it in order to keep the damaged toe from moving.

Let us know how things are going!

Thanks everyone for all your advice. My toe is a lot better now. Most of the purple discoloration disappeared in about 3 days. At this point it still aches a bit to apply pressure at odd angles, but it isn't anywhere near as bad. The toe still has some deep pinkish-ness, but it doesn't look more than a shade or two different from the other toes now.

Hopefully this means I didn't break the toe!

Thanks again!