Turf Toe

What is Turf toe?

Turf toe is simply a sprain to the ligament at the base of the big toe or great toe. It can be caused as 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 under the toe which can become stretched. In addition the surfaces of the bones at the joint can become damaged. An X-ray is usually recommended to check that there is no fracture present.

If pain in the joint at the base of the big toe (called the MTP joint) comes and goes, lasting for around at a week at a time, with no obvious cause  then consider gout as a possible cause of the toe pain.

Turf toe treatment

What can the athlete do to treat turf toe?

• Ice the injury immediately. Applying cold therapy or ice to the injured joint will reduce pain and inflammation speeding up the healing process.
• Apply a compression bandage.This will help support and protect the toe as well as reduce swelling. The sooner a compression bandage is applied the earlier it will prevent swelling although a compression bandage should only be applied for 10 minutes at a time or it may restrict blood flow to tissues and cause further damage.
• Rest, which might include crutches to take the weight off the toe. it is difficult to rest the foot when you need to walk on it but without rest turf toe will take much longer to heal.
• 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. A turf toe taping technique will support and protect the toe preventing it from bending in the direction that will stress the toe ligament causing pain.
• See a sports injury professional for advice - watch our expert interview podiatrist on toe pain. This is especially important if the injury is severe or doesnt heal as expected.

What can a sports injury professional do?

• X-ray to check for a fracture. A broken toe may have similar symptoms to a severe turf toe injury.
• Apply ultrasound or other electrotherapy treatment to help reduce pain and swelling and encourage the heeling process.
• After 2 to 4 days the athlete may be able to weight bear again.
• Tape the toe to prevent movement, particularly upward bending of the toe which will stress the injured ligament.
• Advise on a rehabilitation and strengthening program. General foot and toe exercises may be required to strengthen the injured foot.

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 / Rigidus! This is a decreased range of motion due to arthritis around the joint. This can cause problems in the rest of the foot or lower limb due to changes to your walking cycle (gait).