Buddy Taping Injured Toes

Buddy taping can help support and stabilize most toe injuries, but you should see a doctor immediately if your toe seems crushed, is bent at an unnatural angle, or is bleeding and has a noticeable break.
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What is Buddy Taping?

If you鈥檝e ever been injured playing sports, chances are you鈥檝e had a teammate hold you up and help you off the field. You鈥檙e a team 鈥� that means you play together in the good times and support each other when you鈥檙e down.

That鈥檚 also the idea behind 鈥渂uddy taping鈥� your injured toes! Your toes work together every day to support your weight and help maintain your posture and balance. When one of them is injured, the others can step up to help support the injured toe.

Buddy taping is a quick, convenient way to support an injured toe that can be done immediately after it gets injured, at home or on the field. For a minor injury like a sprain or strain, your uninjured toes can act as splints to align, protect, and support an injured toe. And all you need is medical or athletic tape like you might find in a first-aid kit at home or in a coach鈥檚, trainer鈥檚, or teammate鈥檚 bag if you鈥檙e hurt playing sports.

Buddy taping can help support and stabilize most toe injuries, but you should see a doctor immediately if your toe seems crushed, is bent at an unnatural angle, or is bleeding and has a noticeable break.

Buddy Taping Injured Toes

How To Buddy Tape an Injured Toe

Buddy taping is quick and easy enough to do on your own. Before you begin, make sure your toes are clean and dry. Decide which toes to tape together. You should avoid using your big toe or pinky toe as a buddy. Place a piece of gauze or cotton between the injured toe and its buddy for padding. Gently wrap the tape around the toes two to three times, snug enough to support the injured toe but not so tight that it will cut off circulation to the toe. When you鈥檙e finished, make sure your toes have good circulation. To check, push a fingertip against your toes. When you release it, make sure your toes turn pink again. If they stay pale, your tape is wrapped too tightly, and you should rewrap the toes looser. It鈥檚 always important to make sure your toes have healthy circulation. Your blood delivers healing nutrients to your injury, so you want to make sure it gets there! Change the tape and padding at least once a day and any time it gets wet.

Contact Us for Treatment

Buddy taping is an easy way to support your injured toe at home or on the field, but it鈥檚 essential to make sure your toe heals correctly. If you鈥檝e injured a toe, buddy taping is a great start, but there may be something more we can do to help you heal.

Call us at 916-961-3434 to schedule an appointment or contact us on our website. At your appointment, we鈥檒l examine your foot, assess the injury, and develop a treatment plan to get you back on your toes.

We鈥檒l be there for you like your toes are there for each other!

Looking to schedule an appointment with a physician?

Schedule an appointment with us by calling (916) 961-3434 or by clicking the button below to begin requesting your appointment today!

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