Hoda Kotb had an interesting remedy for her jammed toe the night before she went on air
TODAY's Hoda Kotb jammed her toe while running into a subway car in New York City, leading her to try taping her injured toe.
She shared details about the incident as she and Jenna Bush Hager were walking on the "TODAY With Hoda and Jenna" set on April 24.
"Why are you wearing tennis shoes?" Jenna asked her co-host, as the camera zoomed in to show Hoda's white sneakers.
"I was on a New York subway, and there was an incident," Hoda said through laughter. "I ran to another subway car and jammed my toe so hard, but you know when you're too busy, caught up in the adrenaline? Anyway, my toe is fine now and someone said you can't do anything — tape it."
Hoda described sifting through her things at home for some tape, but all she could find was Scotch tape.
"No. No! You Scotch taped your toe?" Jenna said, shocked.
Hoda affirmed her choice, and said she Googled how to apply it and wrapped the tape around her toe.
"Scotch tape holds your two toes together?" Jenna asked.
Hoda answered: "You don't do two if it's the big toe. You don't tape it to anything. You got to do it solo."
Jenna said she didn't think experts meant for people to use Scotch tape when recommending for people to tape their injured toes.
"Well, that's all I had. I searched the house," Hoda said. "I'm like, 'I know we have a first aid kit.' It was nowhere to be found."
How to treat a stubbed toe
Cleveland Clinic recommends massaging the injured area right after stubbing a toe, which can relieve pain by increasing blood flow to the toe. You can also take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain, too, according to Cleveland Clinic.
For treating a stubbed toe, Cleveland Clinic recommends the RICE method, which stands for:
Rest: Allow your toe to heal by staying off your feet.
Ice: Apply ice or a cold compress every 20 minutes. This will address pain and inflammation.
Compression: Wrap your foot in an elastic bandage to decrease swelling.
Elevation: Keep your toe elevated above your heart as you rest. This position reduces swelling.
And you can tape your stubbed toe and buddy tape (when you tape two toes together) your toes other than the big toe. "Using athletic tape, hold your injured toe and the toe next to it together and wrap tape around them both. This technique helps your toe heal with the support of another toe," per the Cleveland Clinic.
However, Cleveland Clinic noted that if you think you may have broken your toe, you should see a health care provider before attempting to tape it.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
