What does a broken toe feel like?

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/broken_toe/article_em.htm#facts_and_definition_of_a_broken_toe

I never had one but my brother did years ago. The good news, at least at that time, was that they didn’t set it or anything. Supposedly, you give it time and it heals by itself. It certainly sounds like it could be one.

If you can bend the toe it’s not broken just bruised, if it can’t be bent…it’s bust.

I’ve broken a few in my time. Painful, and depending on the type of break, flexible to varying degrees. Try to be careful of it, maybe bind it gently, load up on NSAIDs.
Hope it’s better soon.

It really depends on which toe and what the picture is. You said it’s bruised (slightly blue). Is it a line across the toe that is blue? That is probably a break. Just general swollen and bruised may or may not be. Your doctor may give you a better diagnosis. But most likely, if it is broken, the treatment is…nothing. Let it heal. Unless it is the big toe and it is REALLY broken. I banged my foot one time and my little toe was moved to a 90 degree angle from normal. I popped it back into position. Called the doctor and he told me he could look at it, but really wouldn’t do anything even if it was broken.

I broke my little toe last year. Hard to walk on, painful, and I had some balance issues.
If you get a blue ring around it, it’s broke. Tape it to the toe next to it for 6 weeks.

Which toe?

If it is the little one, or second to littlest, assume it is broken and tape the toe against the toe next to it so it heals straight. If it’s a bigger toe, especially the biggest toe, go get an X-ray.

I think you most likely broke it if it’s swollen.

A few years ago I dropped a ladder on my little toe. I could wiggle it, it was a little swollen, but it didn’t hurt too bad. Part of me thought I ought to just take it easy, but I went to the emergency clinic anyway. The guy said it was cracked, and that I must not put any weight on it until it healed, because if I did it would break off the rest of the way and I would need surgery.

So I did as I was told and waited six weeks before I put weight on it.

The moral of my story? Go get an x-ray!

Thanks, everyone! I got an x-ray and it’s broken, or cracked, at the tip. They taped it up and said not to do anything painful.

Remember, enthusiastic doggos can cause problems with healing. They think it’s helpful to stand on the afflicted digit and wiggle. I speak from experience. :-)

@canidmajor Aren’t doggos keen practitioners of alternative medicine?

@canidmajor That already happened. And then my yelp startled him, and he tried to fix it by jumping up.

Be careful for a good month.