A broken toe happens very easily. Walking in a dark room is the most common cause. Chairs, bedframes, and dressers just pop out of nowhere! In Heidi Klum's case, she broke her toe on the base of an umbrella at her child's birthday party. No one is immune! It is forcing Klum into slippers whenever possible. She still finds a way to painfullly wear her VERY high heels in public, however.
A broken toe can be an ongoing source of pain. While we don't cast or immobilize fractures of the smaller toes, we often do when the big toe is broken. All toes, however, can not be in good position after the toe is broken. It is often simple to realign the fracture in the office when needed. It is also important to splint the toe to an adjacent one. This helps reduce the pain and swelling to get you back in the shoes that you want to wear.
I often see people in my Houston podiatry practice who come in a month or more after fracturing their toe wondering why it is still painful and swollen. Don't wait! These things can be controlled if they are evaluated and treated early. Contact Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate evaluation.