What is it?
Turf Toe is commonly used to describe damage or a sprain to the ligaments surrounding the big toe joint caused by jamming the big toe. The condition can also be caused by repetitive pushing force on the big toe through running and jumping.
The condition is mostly associated with football players who play on artificial turf, however can also affect players of other sports including gymnastics, soccer, basketball, wrestling and dance.
What are the symptoms?
- Pain in the big toe joint
- Swelling
- Redness
Why did I get it?
Most patients with the condition can often present with many of the following risk factors:
- Wearing incorrect footwear (soft flexible footwear)
- Playing sport on artificial turf
- Trauma
- Decreased range of motion in the big toe joint
- Flat feet or excessive pronation
How is it diagnosed?
Turf Toe can be diagnosed through passive and active movement and palpable pain will guide the Podiatrist to an accurate diagnosis. An MRI may be appropriate in some circumstances to outline the extent of the damage to all the different types of tissue surrounding the big toe joint (i.e tendons, ligaments and cartilage).
How can I treat it?
The quickest path to being pain free is to pay a visit to your Podiatrist for them to help you develop a treatment plan.
Below are some treatment strategies which may be implemented by your Podiatrist:
- Rest
- Ice
- Strapping
- Decreased weight bearing
- Footwear advice
- Custom orthotics
Although Turf Toe can be painful, there is light at the end of the tunnel because when treated correctly it is a condition that you can recover from quickly and fully so you can get back into achieving those physical and lifestyle goals.
Ready to take back control and permanently resolve your Turf Toe?
Book your appointment with one of our podiatrists now!
