How to relieve turf toe How is turf toe diagnosed - Health - Fitness

Turf toe is a condition of pain at the base of the big toe, located at the ball of the foot. Turf toe is usually caused from either jamming the toe, or pushing off repeatedly when running or jumping. The most common complaint is pain at the base of the toe, but you may also have symptoms of stiffness and swelling. The name turf toe comes from the fact that this injury is especially common among athletes who play on artificial turf. The hard surface of artificial turf, combined with running and jumping in football and soccer, make this a frequent consequence of Astroturf play. 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. How is it diagnosed? Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and examine your toe. He or she may order an x-ray to be sure you did not break your toe. Turf toe can sometimes look like gout, a type of arthritis of the big toe. Your pro vider may order tests to be sure you do not have gout. Footwear: Throughout the past several decades, football shoes have evolved from the traditional 7-cleat shoe containing a metal plate in the sole designed for grass surfaces, to a more flexible soccer-style shoe designed for grass surfaces, and finally to shoes designed for artificial turf. These changes in shoe type have allowed increased speed at the expense of stability. The absence of a stiff sole places the forefoot, and specifically the MTP joints, at much greater risk for stress-type injuries. Athletes wearing flexible turf shoes are much more prone to injury than those wearing shoes containing a stiff forefoot. Synthetic surfaces: Artificial grass contains a higher coefficient of friction and tends to lose some of its resiliency and shock absorbency over time. The combination of increased surface friction and a hard undersurface is believed to play a major role in the natural history of the injury. A higher coe fficient of friction places the forefoot at greater risk to become fixed to the playing surface. Thus, the forefoot becomes more prone to an external force that places the hallux MTP joint in a position of extreme dorsiflexion. Ankle range of motion: The risk for turf toe appears to be related to the range of ankle motion in those injured. A greater degree of ankle dorsiflexion has been correlated with the risk for hyperextension to the first MTP joint. How is it treated? Treatment may include the following: putting ice packs on your toe for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for the first 2 to 3 days or until the pain goes away elevating your foot on a pillow taking anti-inflammatory medicines prescribed by your health care provider. One of the keys to treating turf toe is keeping the toe from moving too much. Your toe can be taped to restrict how much it moves. You may have a special insole placed in your shoe that will reduce the movement of your big toe. How long do t he effects last? Turf toe help The length of recovery depends on many factors such as your age, health, and if you have had a previous toe injury. Recovery time also depends on the severity of the toe injury. Pain from turf toe may last several weeks or longer. You need to stop doing the activities that cause pain until your toe has improved. If you continue doing activities that cause pain, your symptoms will return and it will take longer to recover.

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