Is It Safe To Walk With A Broken Toe?

Your toes play an important role in the movement of your body. They help support your body weight while providing you with posture and balance (via Livestrong). If one of your toes is broken, however, it may be difficult for you to walk around for a while. Broken toes can be quite painful, which can hinder your ability to walk the way you once did before you were injured. In addition to pain, the main symptoms of a broken toe are swelling and stiffness.

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms after stubbing or dropping something on your toe, you should seek immediate medical attention. Your doctor will most likely take an X-ray of your foot to confirm that your toe is broken. They will also stabilize your toe and foot and give you medication to help treat the pain. Although it's technically safe to walk with a broken toe, it's a risk you should try to avoid. Walking on a broken toe is not only painful, but it may also lead to further injury.

If you have to walk around while your toe is broken, you need an added layer of protection to prevent yourself from putting too much weight or pressure on your toe (via Self). Depending on the severity of your injury, your doctor might make you wear a walking boot for a few weeks or buddy-tape your broken toe to its neighboring toe. These tools should make it a little easier and a little less painful to walk around.

While it's normal to feel some soreness and stiffness at first, your pain should gradually fade as time goes on. If your injury starts deteriorating and getting worse, however, it may not be healing properly, in which case you should immobilize your toe and call your doctor immediately. More severe breaks can cause your toe to heal improperly if it's not treated correctly. "If this is mismanaged, you could end up with a premature arthritic joint or an inability to walk normally," Dr. Matt Bayes, a sports medicine and regenerative orthopedic specialist, told Self. This may also cause your toes to look crooked or bent.