Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures Gallery of Skin Problems and Image Collection

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Broken Foot Treatment

Self-Care at Home

• First aid for people with foot injuries is stabilization and elevation of the injured foot.
  
  
  • Any splint that keeps the injured foot from moving is effective. Often a pillow wrapped around the foot like a stirrup and then taped or tied with a bandage works well.
    
    
  • Do not wrap the foot so tightly that it cuts off the blood supply to the foot. Any splint that causes the foot to hurt worse, turn blue, or makes it more difficult to wiggle the toes should be removed right away.
    
    
  • Elevation of the injured foot reduces swelling and pain. Proper elevation requires the foot to be at a level higher than the rest of the body. Lie flat with the foot propped up on several pillows.
    
    
  • Ice wrapped in a towel and applied to the injured foot may also reduce swelling and pain for the first several hours after an injury. Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time every hour while awake after the injury for one day.
    
    
  • Do not attempt to walk on an injured foot if walking is very painful.
  
  
• Injured toes usually heal well even if they are broken. They can usually be treated at home unless the toe seems to be deformed or is pointing in the wrong direction.
  
  
  • Treatment involves splinting the injured toe to the good toe next to it. This is called "buddy taping."
    
    
  • Place some padding (usually cotton balls) between the injured and good toe(s) and tape them securely with a wide medical tape. They should be secure enough to provide support but not so tight as to cut off blood supply to the toes.
    
    
  • A shoe with a fairly rigid sole like a wooden sandal or a rigid flat-bottom shoe from a medical supply store is also helpful.