Turf toe is a common injury affecting the big toe joint, often caused by hyperextension during sports on artificial turf. Treatment ranges from rest and pain relief to surgical repair, depending on the severity. Prevention involves proper footwear and awareness of turf surfaces.
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Turf toe, also called a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain, occurs when the ligament underneath your big toe hyperextends. This causes a sprain in the main joint of your big toe.
Doctors call this injury “turf toe” because it appears more often in athletes playing on artificial turf. It happens most often in football players, but it can happen in other sports and activities as well.
Turf toe can occur on any surface.
Sometimes turf toe occurs on a grass surface if the athlete isn't wearing the right shoes or cleats to support the foot.
You can take a few steps to prevent turf toe:
Common symptoms of turf toe often include:
You may notice that the pain in the metatarsophalangeal joint lessens when you wear hard-soled shoes.
To diagnose turf toe, your doctor will do an exam to find out the extent of the injury. He or she will look for symptoms and test your range of motion.
Your injury could be a slight stretching, hyperextension, or tear of the tendon.
You may need an x-ray or MRI if your injury looks to be more severe. This will allow your doctor to rule out a fracture, or other more serious injury.
You can treat turf toe at home first with rest, ice, and elevation.
You can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help with pain.
For more severe toe injuries, you may need to tape the toe or wear a walking cast.
Once your symptoms subside, physical therapy exercises can help:
