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It may be the smallest toe on your foot, but when it hurts, you sure notice it.

Small as it is, your pinky toe and bones leading to it are one of the most common places for foot injuries. The pinky toe can even be especially problematic for athletes.

What could possibly go wrong with your pinky toe? Find out below:

1. Breaks

Stubbing your pinky toe particularly hard or dropping a heavy object can cause your pinky toe to break.

How do you know if you have a broken pinky toe?

You’ll hear a popping sound when your pinky toe breaks. You’ll also feel a throbbing pain that doesn’t subside for several hours. And you’ll have difficulty putting your full weight on that foot.

It’s an experience fairly distinct from the others below.

2. Stress Fracture

This is a small hairline-thin fracture in your pinky toe. It’s hard to tell when you actually have a stress fracture, and it’s easier to identify based on your activity level.

If you frequently engage in high-impact sports or physical activity of any kind, you have a high chance of a stress fracture in your pinky toe.

You’ll feel pain in your pinky toe. This pain gets worse over the weeks and months. And it increases noticeably when you engage in activity.

You may also notice swelling, bruising, and general tenderness.

3. Dislocation

You will notice if you dislocate your pinky toe. It feels numb or you feel like you’re getting poked by pins and needles.

When you look down, your pinky toe looks noticeably crooked.

Dislocated pinky toes happen most commonly to athletes and adults over 65.

4. Sprains

A sprain happens to the ligaments connecting your pinky toe to other bones. A hard bump or stretching your pinky toe well beyond its normal range of motion can cause a sprain.

Sprains are painful, but you should be able to walk when a sprain happens. You don’t want to walk any more than you have to because rest helps you recover from sprains the fastest.

But you can walk until you get to a place where you can safely rest.

Pain, throbbing, tenderness, swelling, and bruising can result.

5. Bunionette

This bony bump appears on the outside of your pinky toe and can be genetically inherited. It can also be caused by shoes which are too narrow.

This bunionette can grow in size over time. But it always causes pain, redness, and swelling.

Some of these issues can be cured with rest. Others require the expertise of a podiatrist.

If you experience pain you can’t bear or would like to know the fastest way to heal from your pinky toe injury, you can always get the opinion of your podiatrist.