What is Turf Toe?
Turf toe can occur after a very
vigorous upward bending of the big toe. It got it's name due to the fact
that it occurs frequently in people who play games on artificial
surfaces. The shoe grips hard on the surface and sticks causing
bodyweight to go forward and so bending the toe up. It is also common in
martial arts. You are more at risk if you have increased range of
motion in the ankle and / or wear soft flexible shoes.
When the
toe is bent upwards this causes damage to the ligaments which can become
stretched. In addition the surfaces of the bones at the joint can
become damaged. You should really have an X-ray to check if a bone has
not been broken.
Symptoms of turf toe include:
Swelling and pain at the joint of the big toe and metatarsal bone in the foot.
Pain and tenderness on bending the toe or pulling (stretching) it upwards.
What can the athlete doto prevent turf toe?
Ice the injury immediately.
Apply a compression bandage.
See a sports injury professional for advice.
Rest, which might include crutches to take the weight off the toe.
Use a brace to protect the toe - or at the very least wear a shoe that has a firm sole that will not allow bending.
What can a Podiatrist/Sports Therapist do?
X-ray to check for a fracture.
Apply ultrasound or other electrotherapy treatment.
After 2 to 4 days the athlete may be able to weight bear again.
Tape the toe to prevent movement.
Advise on a rehabilitation programme.
Recovery
of this injury can take three to four weeks depending on how bad the
sprain is. If the athlete does not look after this injury then it may
develop into Hallux Limitus! This is a decreased range of motion due to
arthritis around the joint.
Reference Sports Injury Clinic
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