sore big toe after a shunt on the stairs

[trophies]

Around 4 weeks ago, I fell down the stairs from top to bottom. I'm not sure why....

I had a few cuts, scuffs and bruises, but the main problem was a sore big toe. After a couple of days, I took a trip to a&e. They x rayed it, but found nothing wrong. However it was swollen. The splinted it and sent me on my way.

Its now 4 weeks later. I can't move my toe up or down, it hurts if I hit it gently and hurts of a night with the bed cover on it. Earlier I ran up the stairs and hit it fairly hard. Its really, really hurt and felt like burning.

My question really is do I go to my doctor, who I presume will have to refer me or do I got to a&e and ask them to look again.

Thanks guys.

[blurry]

I did something very similar last year and it went on for 8 months with various trips to my GP before it was sorted. When I had the x-ray done at A&E, the doctors missed a very small crack (or Pseudo-arthrosis with osteonecrosis) in my medial sesamoid (small bone under the big toe with a tendon attached to it). I ended up having this bone removed since it was not going to heal very well in that part of the body - limited blood supply.

My GP had access to the x-ray that was done in hospital (via the NHS sharing patient data thing?) and reviewed before referring me to an Orthopaedic surgeon who reviewed the x-ray and subsequent second x-ray the gp ordered and he spotted it instantly. He was very surprised other doctors had missed it. An MRI scan to confirm and that piece of bone is history.

This may not be the same thing for you, but my point is that small things can be missed, especially by those under pressure and busy, so a second of third opinion is always useful.