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Fractures of the toes of the foot and lower leg
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Fractures of the toes often go unnoticed by the victims because these bones are tiny and can heal on their own. There is almost no pain after such fractures. Only after obvious deformation of the joints do people understand that they should see a traumatologist, the main thing is that it is not too late.
Fractures of the toes. General concepts
Toes are very easy to break, when a fracture occurs, you can hear a characteristic click and feel a sharp pain. After a fracture, the toe swells up a lot, you cannot walk calmly, without pain. In case of a ligament or tendon injury, you should apply an ice pack to the affected area. This will reduce swelling. Then you need to apply a bandage to the sore toe, wait a day, and stretch the joints, even if the pain is severe.
Fractures of the digital phalanx
A fracture of the finger phalanx is determined quite simply. The color of such a fracture is dark blue. Due to the rupture of numerous vessels located in the fracture area, your injury acquires this color. With such fractures, you may not immediately feel pain, and perhaps you will not even notice the fracture itself until you take off your shoes.
The pain sensation disappears when you are in a hurry, you have a lot to do, an exciting football match and the body, which secretes substances - analgesics, helps to hide your injury. The nerve endings are stunned after the injury, the signal about the pain sensations may simply not reach your brain. If you do not determine the nature of the injury in time and do not treat it, the finger may become immobile and deformed (crooked).
Metatarsal fractures
In everyday life, there are also fractures of the metatarsus, which are difficult to determine as a fracture at home. Treating a metatarsus fracture is not difficult, just like in the case of a fracture of the phalanx of the fingers. Provide a high position for your foot and start with bandaging it with a tight bandage, after a day or two, start moving and doing exercises.
The metatarsal bones are most likely to be subject to a stress fracture. The fracture occurs precisely at the point of attachment of the muscle tissue, and not, as in normal fractures, the connective tissue. When you have a "stress" fracture, the pain worsens when you walk, and when you lie down to rest, the pain stops. You should rest as much as possible. Only after two weeks begin physical exercise.
Shin injuries
In case of falls or car accidents, shin injuries can be incurable. Not every doctor can guarantee a quality cure, but only an expert, and not in all cases.
The most common fractures of the tibia
Inexperienced people may not attach much importance to a shin fracture that occurred as a result of enormous physical exertion. At the initial stage, there is no displacement of bones and a person experiences minimal pain, if we talk about fractures.
There may be situations when with such a fracture you continue to actively walk, move, work around the house, ignoring the pain. A fatigue fracture of the tibia has the signs we already know: increased pain during movement and the cessation of pain impulses when at rest.
Fractures in old age
The leader of the most insidious disadvantages of old age is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease when a person has fragile bones, such bones break very easily. After a fall, an elderly person is more likely to break, and they will heal 3-4 times longer than in a young person.
The very first reason for the appearance of osteoporosis is a metabolic disorder that occurs in old age. During such a metabolism, a person is very likely to have a disruption in the flow of calcium into the body. With a normal metabolism, the daily intake of calcium is 0.4 grams per day, this amount is washed out daily.
The body controls calcium metabolism independently, but in old age calcium is very difficult to digest and meals containing it should be large. Even through food, calcium is difficult for pensioners to digest. Based on all this, it is completely clear that the older we become, the more difficult it is for us to maintain our body in good shape, nature made us like this.
Causes of metabolic disorders
Not only in old age can metabolism in the body be radically disrupted. The main time barrier for metabolic disorders is age - 60 years. But other factors can affect its earlier disruption: poor nutrition, early menopause, frequent and long-term use of corticosteroids or smoking. Also, with frequent use of alcoholic beverages, high activity of the parathyroid glands, with immoderate loads (large or small) you can disrupt your metabolism. Sedentary work will not improve it.
[ Causes of calcium metabolism disorders
Scientists' research has proven that calcium metabolism disorders can be caused by insufficient amounts of vitamin D3, and it is this vitamin that regulates the correct amount of calcium in blood plasma. Vitamin D3 is produced by eating seafood, dairy products, meat, and from sunlight.
If you do not stick to eating such food, vitamin D3 will not enter your body in sufficient quantities. Pensioners have slow metabolic processes, which is the reason for low vitamin production.
Women aged 40-50 may suffer from a special type of osteoporosis – postmenopausal. In women of this age, it is also called “transitional”, due to the deterioration of the ovaries and the lack of production of the hormone important for women – estrogen, salts are washed out of the body and the bones become fragile.
Treatment of osteoporosis
It is not always possible to cure osteoporosis, and it takes a very long time. We recommend that you consult your doctor so that he can prescribe you a set of necessary vitamins. Try to stick to diets and walk in the fresh air to prevent bone fragility - osteoporosis. Do not self-medicate so as not to disrupt the functioning of the kidneys.
Get treatment on time
One young and promising football player got carried away while playing football and, through carelessness or chance, broke two toes on his foot. This guy did not attach the necessary importance to his injury and went to the doctor when he was already limping and could hardly move. He looked at the doctor pitifully and asked to break both his toes so that they would grow back together correctly. The doctor felt sorry for the football player, but help was unlikely, since the joints on his foot were already deformed. Do not repeat the guy's mistakes, get treatment in time and do not neglect your health.
How to treat a stress fracture?
Treating a stress fracture is easy: apply ice packs regularly, wrap it tightly, and start moving around after a couple of weeks. Remember to try to keep your legs elevated as often as possible to reduce swelling.
It happens that a shin fracture is accompanied by a muscle swelling, and you have compression of blood vessels and nerves. In this case, you are diagnosed with shin splints. In this case, you simply need to see a qualified doctor and get treatment, as the case is considered serious.
The injured leg requires care, treatment, constant stretching, exercises for the flexibility of your joints. After qualified treatment, you will be able to walk fully. In two percent of cases, surgical intervention is required.
Peculiarities of fracture treatment in the elderly
The less a person walks, runs, and generally engages in physical activity, the more often he or she experiences bone fractures. This concerns the elderly most of all.