Turf Toe: What You Need to Know

For many of you who watched the game between the Ravens and the Steelers on Sunday, November 6, you might not have known that that game was the first game back for the Baltimore Ravens’ left offensive guard, Ben Grubbs. The veteran had been sidelined for six games due to an injury called “turf toe.” But what is turf toe? It is an injury to the big toe, where the big toe has actually been hyperextended as the heel of the foot is raised off the ground. The soft tissue around the top of the toe are thus torn or ruptured. The reason this is called “turf toe” is that this injury usually happens only in team sports, where people run around on a field or turf field.

The way to treat a turf toe is to rest, so as to allow the soft tissue to heal and prevent any re-tearing. Also by icing and taking anti-inflammatory medicine will reduce the swelling in the injury as well as the pain. By reducing the swelling in the toe, you then allow your body’s natural healing processes to get into the injury and repair it. You should also make sure to wrap the toe so that the toe will be secure, not allowing it to re-tear. Make sure to see your podiatrist to make sure it isn’t more injured than a turf toe, because a broken toe can be a result from a turf toe.

It is hard to prevent the injury from happening, since most times it just happens, but you can do a couple of things to help prevent turf toe from happening to you. First, never play barefoot. That is always asking for trouble. Second, make sure you have a supportive shoe. That way, your toe should stay upward, not under your foot when your heel comes off the ground.

If your in need of an appointment with a podiatrist, Dr. Vargas would love to help you get back in the game pain free.