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Is this a sprain or a fracture? Toe Injury.

Original Post
Janet Sands · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2017 · Points: 0

So I recently purchased a pair of LS Solutions, originally in a 36.5 but quickly learned they were way too small and sized up to a 37. My right foot fits perfectly in the 37, but as always my left foot is a little more cramped, mostly because of my 4th toe which is a little larger than the 4th toe on my right foot. 

I've been climbing in the Solutions for about a week, and as far as pain goes, the cramped feeling and pain goes away after about 5-10 minutes of walking around and bouldering. Tuesday I wore them bouldering for almost an hour straight with zero issues, besides some friction on the top of the toes. 

Last night I put them on to coach a class and they were as usual on the painful side, and then towards the end of the class I could barely walk in them. I did demonstrate beta for a climb or two and jumped down. Then later that evening I went rope climbing with a friend and the shoes felt progressively more and more painful, though on the climbs they had little to no pain. 

When I came home last night I noticed that the 4th toe on my left foot, specifically the knuckle at the base, appears to be fatter/swollen. There is no bruising or blood, and I didn't smack it into anything during my climbs. Now this toe has always been a little wonky looking, so I can't really tell how much fatter or swollen it actually is. The only time it hurts is when I curl my toes into the position they'd be in my Solutions and put weight on it, or when I put pressure on the base of the toe knuckle (where the top of my foot begins) but otherwise it's fine and I have no pain. No throbbing either. 

I've read that people have fractured bones in their toes from ill fitting shoes, but I'm really hoping this is just a sprain. I have my old Scarpas Force X to climb in for now, but putting the Solutions on my left foot is unbearable. Again, my right foot has zero issues, and daresay is even comfortable in it. 

Anyone with prior toe injury able to tell me if it's just sprained and to go easy on it? And how long did it take to heal, etc. 

Baba Fats · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Aug 2016 · Points: 0

I have always had issues with my toes.  When I first started climbing, the big toe on my right foot started to hurt really bad and I thought it could have been a stress fracture.  You don't need impact to fracture any bone (just look into the lawsuits surrounding Sketchers Shape-Up's).

In my case, it was just a sprain, and took about 2 weeks to go back to completely normal, even with climbing (though a bit more gently, and in my old Scarpa Helix's).  If it is a fractured toe, a doctor probably won't do anything but tape it up, or maybe tape it to the one next to it (that's something you can do yourself for now).  The healing time will be much longer, however.  I'd wear a pair of slightly more comfortable shoes for a week and see if the pain goes down.  You can soak it once a day to get blood moving.  And if it starts to feel better, it was probably a sprain.  If it starts to look bruised, it might be time to have it checked out.  I'm not a doctor, and don't want to tell you how long to really rest it if it is broken.  I don't know of all of the complications that can arise from a fractured toe being consistently jammed into climbing shoes.  The last time I broke a toe, i wasn't climbing yet, so I was able to just tape it up and pop Advil when needed.  

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

You'll get better advice from a doctor than you will from the Internet.  

Jimmy Downhillinthesnow · · Fort Collins, CO / Seattle, WA · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 10

I'm sorry, my internet x-ray vision isn't working today!

In all seriousness, the only way to tell is via imaging. Heal up fast!

Janet Sands · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2017 · Points: 0

Thanks everyone -- I think it is just incredibly sore from being crammed up into the shoe. It's been a week and there's still no bruising, and the swelling might just be how my toe looks now but even if it is/was swelling, it's so minor nobody could even tell when I asked them "Which toe looks like it could be swollen to you?"

Also,  I was dumb and kept wearing them the next couple of days, and I found that when bouldering I leave the shoes on, and my toes have time to acclimate to the cramped feeling as well as relax a little as I walk around in them, and I felt no pain until about 40 minutes of bouldering at which point I took them off. 

I've also figured out how to manually adjust that one toe so it doesn't curl up quite as dramatically and hit the top of the shoe so badly, and it is almost comfortable haha. 

These  shoes are magic, I'm glad my foot is starting to get used to them. 

Janet Sands · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2017 · Points: 0

***I have the most pain when I lead and take them on and off between climbs. It's the initial putting my foot into the shoe that makes my toe seize up and hurt badly, but as I climb I feel no pain in them**

Baba Fats · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Aug 2016 · Points: 0

It could be that the tightness of the shoe is acting as a splint and putting enough pressure to keep it from moving.  Be careful with that.  If there is a fracture, you don't want your bone healing in a crimped position 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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