A broken toe can be painful, but it can usually be treated at home. Here are some steps you can take to care for a broken toe:

1. Rest: Stop doing any physical activity that causes pain, and keep your foot immobile whenever possible.

2. Ice: Apply ice up to 20 minutes at a time, wrapped in a towel. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days or until the swelling goes down.

3. Elevation: Prop your foot up when possible so that your injury is higher than your heart. This can help reduce swelling and pain.

4. Pain relief: You can usually manage pain from a broken toe with medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) that you can get without a prescription. Severe pain might require prescription painkillers.

5. Buddy taping: Wrap tape around the injured toe and the toe next to it. This helps keep your toe stable. Place a small wad of cotton between your toes to prevent tissues from becoming too moist. Change the cotton daily.

6. Footwear: It may be painful to wear a regular shoe. In this case, your doctor can provide a stiff-bottomed shoe. A care provider might prescribe a post-surgical shoe that has a stiff bottom and a soft top that closes with strips of fabric. This can prevent the toe from moving and provide more room for swelling.

7. Follow-up: Your doctor may recommend that you stay off your foot and avoid activity that causes pain for 3-4 weeks. Wear a shoe with a stiff sole to protect the injured toe and keep it stable. Avoid shoes that put pressure on the toe.

If you have a severe injury, such as a break that causes the toe to be crooked, an open wound, or an injury that involves the big toe, you should seek medical help. Injuries that involve the big toe may need a cast or splint to heal. In rare cases, tiny pieces of bone can break off and keep the bone from healing properly. In this case, you may need surgery.