What is Turf Toe?
Turf toe can occur after a very vigorous upward bending of the
big toe. It got its name due to the fact that it occurs frequently in people who play games on artificial surfaces. 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 which can become stretched. In addition, the surfaces of the bones at the joint can become damaged. You should really have an X-ray to check if a bone has not been broken.
Symptoms Include:
- 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.