My purple swollen throbbing thing..

**2groggy** · Posted On: 11/11/2008 10:11pm

Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm talking about my left pinkie toe. I rolled over it while rolling last night and caugt it on the mat. My pinkie toe ended up pointing almost straight to the side.

I pulled it back into place and iced it for half an hour. This morning I dropped by the doctor. After pointing at me and laughing, she taped it to the toe beside it, and said that it had been dislocated rather than broken.

So now, my question is... How do I make it heal as fast as possible so I can get back onthe mat?

**1point2** · Posted On: 11/11/2008 10:13pm

Tape it every day and ignore it. Don't do things that hurt, particularly kicking with that foot.

Dislocated toes are no biggie. What'd the doc say?

**2groggy** · Posted On: 11/11/2008 10:17pm

Originally Posted by 1point2

What'd the doc say?

Not a lot really, just to tape it and not do anything stoopid. Unfortunately, I just know I'll be itching to get active again.

**golsa** · Posted On: 11/12/2008 2:41am

You can get back onto the mat pretty soon - disclaimer: I'm not a doctor so don't sue me - just keep it taped up. I've got a little toe that has been broken 4 times and dislocated probably 3 times. Keeping it taped to the next toe over has prevented further injuries, keeps it from getting snagged between mats, and generally keeps the pain down. Yes, that does mean after multiple injuries it hurts pretty much all of the time when barefoot or in sandals.

Given that once a joint has been dislocated its chances of being dislocated again are much higher you may want to keep it taped up for the rest of your karate days. You'll probably want to keep it taped during your work/school day while it heals over the next few weeks, but taking the tape off at night is a good idea because it cuts down blood flow a bit.

**2groggy** · Posted On: 11/12/2008 8:16pm

So taping seems to be about it, then. Thanks guys.

I try to keep it elevated for an hour or two in the evenings, in hopes that the swelling will drain out slightly. The bruising has spread out over a few toes, but faded a bit. I still have to limp while walking, so I'll wait until at Friday at the earliest and see how it goes.

BTW, after several years of karate, I started in MT and BJJ this summer as a noob. I've really got to find a better way to express this in my style field.

**JimmyHoffa** · Posted On: 11/19/2008 11:22pm

I dislocated my pinky toe so many times I resolved a long time ago to cut it off at some point. Until I found out that women actually do that to make their feet look pretty which is downright disturbing.

After you've done it enough, you get used to it, doesn't hurt less, you just care less. On the plus side, plastic surgeons deem it useless so you don't have to worry about it, and I do believe the bone itself is too small to break without a targetted ball peen hammer strike.

**Chr9is** · Posted On: 11/20/2008 12:14am

From what I understand about broken toes..

P.R.I.C.E, buddy tape it, and wait (if possible) for the pain to subside. A couple weeks or even a month or two off from training is nothing in comparison to a more long term recovery.

Even after it stops hurting I would probably still buddy tape it just as a precautionary measure.

You could even go so far as to get a orthotics for your daily shoes. (I'm guessing they would place a metal insert so your toe is supported and doesn't bend as much while you're walking"

If you have access to any DPT's or A.T's I would ask their advice about it really. IMHO they may take their time and explain things to their patients more than doctors do (least in my experience)

**2groggy** · Posted On: 11/20/2008 3:35pm

Originally Posted by Chr9is

P.R.I.C.E, buddy tape it, and wait (if possible) for the pain to subside. A couple weeks or even a month or two off from training is nothing in comparison to a more long term recovery.

Even after it stops hurting I would probably still buddy tape it just as a precautionary measure.

What do you mean by "P.R.I.C.E"?

After a nine days off, I tried going to a MT class yesterday, with the toe buddy taped and wearing a pair of mat shoes. I never could skip rope worth a crap and I didn't want to hop, so I warmed up on the elliptical machine instead. The sore toe interfered with my pivot, especially on the kicks, so I stuck to fists and elbows. I'll try the BJJ tonight with the tape and mat shoes and see how it goes.

As far as the pain goes, it's the street shoes that bother me. They just seem that little bit too narrow and hurt a bit. I should bring some slippers to the office. It might raise a few eyebrows, but so what?

**2groggy** · Posted On: 11/20/2008 3:40pm

Originally Posted by JimmyHoffa

I After you've done it enough, you get used to it, doesn't hurt less, you just care less.

That remind me of the quote form Lawrence of Arabia when they are playing with matches and letting them burn until the flame touches the fingers: "The trick is not to care".

I 'll get to classes to stay in shape, but not push so hard to do any permanent damage (I hope).

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 11/20/2008 3:46pm

I injured all five of my toes and the top part of my foot and just sucked it up for about a month.

I finally went to the Podiatrist, got a shot of Cortisone, had it burn like a ************ for a day and a half and wished I would have went to see him earlier.

I still tape my foot now but the bruising and swelling went away, the mobility returned and the pain subsided.

How long does a Cortisone BURN! - No BS Martial Arts

Foot injury - No BS Martial Arts