Turf Toe Problem and Solution

What Causes Turf Toe?

Turf toe is a sprain to the ligaments around the big toe joint, which works primarily as a hinge to permit up and down motion. Just behind the big toe joint in the ball of your foot are two pea-shaped bones embedded in the tendon that moves your big toe. At a certain point you propel yourself forward by “pushing off” of your big toe and allowing your weight to shift to the other foot. Typically with turf toe, the injury is sudden. Often the injury occurs in athletes wearing flexible soccer-style shoes that let the foot bend too far forward.

Turf toe can occur after a very vigorous upward bending of the big toe.

What Are the Symptoms of Turf Toe?

The most common symptom of turf toe is pain at the base of one big toe that started suddenly as a result of an injury. Usually the entire joint is involved, and toe movement is limited.

How Is Turf Toe Diagnosed?

The doctor will then examine your foot, noting the pattern and location of any swelling and comparing the injured foot to the uninjured one.

How Is Turf Toe Treated?

The basic approach to treating turf toe is to give the injury ample time to heal, which means the foot will need to be rested.

Can Turf Toe Be Prevented?

One way to prevent turf toe is to wear shoes with better support to help keep the toe joint from over bending.

Although several variations exist, the classic definition of turf toe is a hyperdorsiflexion injury of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.