So, I probably broke my big toe...

[singularity6]

This is a very common injury and often happens when toes are improperly held when kicking or if the toes are not sufficiently trained for toe-point kicks. The big toe is the main point of contact in this type of kick and it is very easy to break it if the toes buckle on impact.

As far as care goes, there really isn’t much to do. As with any broken bones, it takes a minimum time to heal completely and this will depend on an individual’s age, sex and overall health. Also the size of the bone is important. Obviously it will not heal as slow as a leg or arm because toe bones are quite small. To allow it to heal properly, it would be a good idea to immobilize it with strong cloth tape and a semi-rigid splint(optional). Also avoid any movement which requires bending the toe or putting pressure or weight on it. Continue for the recommended healing time plus a week or two.

The injury happened on Thursday, and I have almost full range of motion (nearly pain free) as of this post. The swelling has gone down substantially!

Interestingly, the injury wasn't from a kick at all. I was practicing the hip throw with an instructor. He tried upping the realism by committing more to his attacks and speeding things up. I made a mistake... Whenever I make a mistake with this guy, I see one of 3 things coming at my face (in slow motion, no less): A fist, a foot, or the ground. In this case it was the ground. I landed wrong, and while on my way down, I grabbed him, and he fell on top of me. My toe was injured somehow in all that mess.

[singularity6]

I went to the chiropractor today for an adjustment and a massage (I have great insurance!)

The guy seems pretty knowledgeable about the body, so I complained about my toe. He thought he'd give it a tug, and it caused quite a bit of pain. His thought is that I either broke it, or really damaged some ligaments. It doesn't hurt at all even when standing. Only when walking, or if I bend it too far.

Has anyone trained with a broken toe? I'll obviously be staying way from front and round kicks (maybe all kicks) for a while. Is this something I should let completely heal, or should I be okay with some careful training?

For what it's worth, I know this isn't medical advice... I'm simply looking for something anecdotal.

I recommend that you go see a Physician for scans and a diagnosis. As the Chiropractor can only do so much.

As with any health professional, they can only go so far with a physical palpation of the injured site. Especially with breaks, they have to have some imperical evidence (i.e. XRAY) prior to diagnosis.

Understood. Fortunately it's feeling much better than expected. If it were still in rough shape, I'd be going in for an X-ray. Regardless, I'm going to tell my instructors that I'll need to take it easy until it's completely pain-free.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Best guess as to what it may be without an X-ray is an injury somewhere other than the bone. A break would make full range of motion painful if not impossible. Could be also be a smaller fracture on one of the joint sections of the toe. Those are also quite painful and take a long while to completely heal and the sensitivity to dissipate.

Online medical sites have lists of average healing time for broken bones by sex and age. For a healthy adult, the average time to heal a toe or finger is 20-25 days. This gives a rough idea, but a doctor familiar with the individual case can give more precise advice.

Personally, a broken thumb healed(the bone) in about 21 days, but remaind sensitive for a little longer. Suprisingly, a nasty sprain without a break took much longer to get back to normal.

[OneKickWonder]

This is a very common injury and often happens when toes are improperly held when kicking or if the toes are not sufficiently trained for toe-point kicks. The big toe is the main point of contact in this type of kick and it is very easy to break it if the toes buckle on impact.

As far as care goes, there really isn’t much to do. As with any broken bones, it takes a minimum time to heal completely and this will depend on an individual’s age, sex and overall health. Also the size of the bone is important. Obviously it will not heal as slow as a leg or arm because toe bones are quite small. To allow it to heal properly, it would be a good idea to immobilize it with strong cloth tape and a semi-rigid splint(optional). Also avoid any movement which requires bending the toe or putting pressure or weight on it. Continue for the recommended healing time plus a week or two.

The injury happened on Thursday, and I have almost full range of motion (nearly pain free) as of this post. The swelling has gone down substantially!

Interestingly, the injury wasn't from a kick at all. I was practicing the hip throw with an instructor. He tried upping the realism by committing more to his attacks and speeding things up. I made a mistake... Whenever I make a mistake with this guy, I see one of 3 things coming at my face (in slow motion, no less): A fist, a foot, or the ground. In this case it was the ground. I landed wrong, and while on my way down, I grabbed him, and he fell on top of me. My toe was injured somehow in all that mess.

If there is still pain and swelling, even if not much compared to when you first did it, then it us not healed. It is still very weak. New tissue being layer down to repair the injury is still soft jelly.

[DWx]

If in doubt, see a doctor.

I had a training partner break their big toe and they had to have it cast for a few weeks to recover.

[singularity6]

The toe is fine, now. Pain was minimal. I still didn't do any front or round kicks, as that might aggravate it. I was able to do side kicks at near full power with no ill effects.

One of my classmates stepped on my foot during class last night, though. Didn't hurt the joint as much as I expected... but he did pull off my toe nail. That sucked