Ambulance 912HAP 9252
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Stubbed toe

A stubbed toe is often bruised but may also be broken or dislocated. Cooling, elevation and a roomy shoe help with mild injury; a crooked toe, open wound, numbness, poor circulation or injury to the big toe needs prompt assessment.

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A stubbed toe is often bruised but may also be broken or dislocated. Cooling, elevation and a roomy shoe help with mild injury; a crooked toe, open wound, numbness, poor circulation or injury to the big toe needs prompt assessment.

  • Local pain, swelling, blue discolouration and difficulty rolling through the foot when walking.
  • Pain when pressing on the bone or moving the toe.
  • Apply cold through a cloth for no more than fifteen to twenty minutes at a time and avoid freezing the skin.
  • Elevate the foot and limit activities that cause clear pain.
  • Call the same day for deformity, an open wound, a detached nail, a severe crush injury or injury to the big toe.
  • For urgent GP care outside normal opening hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediately life-threatening situation.

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Further reading

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B
Bruised nailA nail may turn blue, dark red or black when blood is trapped beneath it after a blow, pressure or tight shoes. A small bruise usually grows out with the nail, but severe pain, major damage or discolouration without injury needs assessment.
I
Ingrown toenailAn ingrown toenail develops when the nail edge presses or grows into the skin beside it. This often causes pain, redness and swelling, usually in the big toe. Early on, reducing pressure, drying carefully and trimming correctly may help, but picking, digging or cutting a V shape often makes things worse. Seek assessment sooner with diabetes, poor circulation, neuropathy, reduced immunity, pus, spreading redness, cellulitis or fever.
B
Bruised or broken ribA bruised rib and a broken rib often cause the same sharp pain with deep breathing, coughing, laughing and movement. Most isolated rib injuries heal without surgery, but breathing deeply remains important to prevent mucus build-up and pneumonia. Increasing breathlessness, paleness, drowsiness, coughing up blood or severe abdominal pain after a blow may indicate internal injury and needs immediate help.