Understanding Turf Toe and Its Causes
Turf toe is a big toe joint sprain named for its prevalence among athletes who play on artificial turf. The injury occurs when you put too much weight on your big toe, causing it to bend too far back toward your foot, painfully stretching the ligaments that connect the bones in the big toe joint.
Roughly half of NFL players have experienced turf toe, but it also affects basketball players, soccer players, gymnasts, dancers, and wrestlers. You don't have to be an athlete to suffer from turf toe. It can happen to anyone, especially if you repeatedly strike hard surfaces with your feet.
Turf Toe Symptoms
The most common symptom associated with turf toe is pain around the big toe joint that goes up your foot to the ankle. If your big toe bends quickly and suddenly, you might feel the pain immediately, but in some cases, the pain happens gradually. When you hyperextended your toe, you might hear a pop sound immediately preceding your pain.
Other symptoms include:
- Significant swelling around the big toe and the big toe joint
- Sensitivity and tenderness around the toe
- Stiffness in the big toe joint
- Inability to move the toe normally
- A loose big toe joint that's prone to dislocation
When these symptoms make walking difficult, we recommend seeking professional evaluation and treatment. If you've tried treating your turf toe at home, but the pain doesn't subside or worsens, you might need physical therapy or surgery to relieve pain and restore function.
Exploring Turf Toe Treatment Options
During your consultation, Dr. Thomas will ask about your occupation and activities, the history of your foot problems, and the types of shoes you wear. After a thorough examination, he may also request an X-ray or MRI to determine the extent of the injury before making a diagnosis and discussing your treatment options.
Numerous treatments are available for turf toe. We often recommend the following options.
RICE
This common turf toe treatment is both effective and accessible, as patients can do it at home. RICE stands for:
- Rest. Temporarily stop any activities that could worsen your injury to give your big toe joint a chance to heal fully.
- Ice. Apply ice to the affected toe for 10 to 15 minutes at a time to help reduce inflammation and swelling. Wrap the ice pack in a soft cloth or towel to protect your skin.
- Compression. Wrap your foot and toes in a bandage to keep the big toe from moving too much, aggravating your injury.
- Elevation. When you lie down, elevate your foot to reduce swelling.
MLS Laser Therapy
MLS laser therapy uses specialized light energy to treat foot pain. Depending on the severity of the problem, treatment can take six to ten sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. It's a regenerative treatment that stimulates the body's cells and aids natural healing. The lasers stimulate cell activity, increasing blood flow to the injured big toe joint and kickstarting the immune response while reducing pain and inflammation.
Toe Taping
Dr. Thomas may recommend taping the big toe to its neighbor to help relieve stress on the injured toe. Holding the toe in place helps keep the injury from worsening. Tape the toe immediately after the injury and apply an ice pack over the tape.
Physical Therapy
After a turf toe injury, there's a risk of stiffness and pain in the toe joint. This is where physical therapy comes in. The physical therapist evaluates your foot and creates a personalized rehabilitation plan. Depending on your diagnosis, your physical therapy plan could include exercises like:
- Gently moving and manipulating the joints and foot muscles to avoid stiffness and improve motion.
- Motion exercises to regain mobility and function in the big toe, beginning with passive movements.
- Muscle-strengthening exercises, such as toe raises, squats, lunges, and calf raises, to restore toe stability.
- Agility, coordination, and balance exercises that progress to running, jumping, and pivoting as the toe heals.
- Specific sports training geared toward simulating the athletic field while learning the best pivoting and jumping techniques to avoid further injury.
Avoiding Turf Toe
One of the best ways to treat turf toe is to evaluate why it happened in the first place. This can help you avoid turf toe again in the future. We recommend:
- Wearing stiff shoes when playing sports or working out to prevent your big toe from hyperextending.
- Avoiding working out while barefoot.
- Wearing shoes with hard soles that keep your toes in a natural, neutral position.
- Working with our podiatrist or a sports science specialist to train you on ways to reduce your injury risks.
Turf toe can be painful, and the inconvenience of immobility can be even more so. Fortunately, Michigan Foot & Ankle Specialists' Dearborn podiatrist has extensive experience treating this common foot problem. Discover how we can help you get back on your feet and back in the game.