Toe pain

If you have had a nasty traumatic injury and have severe pain you may require an X-ray. Symptoms that suggest a possible fracture include being unable to stand on the injured foot or toe, if the toe seems at a different angle to normal, or if there's significant bruising and swelling around the area.

Tight or badly fitting footwear, and doing too much of one repetitive exercise, can be common causes of toe pain. There are many simple causes of toe pain that don’t require anything other than treatment at home.

Resting the toe and foot, raising it up, and taking some simple pain relief such as paracetamol is a good place to start. If you've had an injury, an ice pack or bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel can also ease the pain.

Your pharmacist is an expert and can recommend further treatments such as insoles, different painkillers, or treatment for many common skin, nail and foot conditions.

Most causes of toe pain will improve with self-treatment. If your pain is not improving after two weeks then you should book a routine appointment with your doctor to discuss it.

You should seek more urgent medical attention if you have severe pain. If you are concerned you have suffered a fracture, or have a nasty injury to your big toe, you will likely require an X-ray.

If you have severe symptoms such as numbness, weakness, fevers, or you are diabetic and have a break in the skin, seek urgent medical advice from your doctor or 111.