Many people hear the term “turf toe” and assume the condition only applies to athletes who practice and compete on turf, like football players. But this painful joint injury affects various athletes and even nonathletes.
Turf toe can happen to:
- Basketball players.
- Dancers.
- Gymnasts.
- Runners.
- Soccer players.
You can sprain your toe by jamming it into a solid object, even if you’re not an athlete.
What Is Turf Toe?
Turf toe is the common name for a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain. That’s a sprain of the main joint in the big toe. You can get turf toe by hyperextending the ligament under the big toe.
Hyperextension can happen with a forceful upward push on the big toe while the rest of the foot is stationary. It can be an acute injury, or you can get chronic turf toe from repetitive strain.
It’s called turf toe because this sprain often occurs when cleats become entangled in the artificial turf of a field. Many athletic fields use artificial turf, which affords many benefits, like a soft, even playing surface and year-round use.
Despite these advantages, turf fields can cause injuries. Using cleats on turf can lock your foot into the surface and prevent proper movement, which is how turf toe earned its name.
You don’t have to be on a turf field to get turf toe, though. Any activity that requires pushing off or landing on the toes can cause it.
Movements that can cause turf toe include:
- Hard soccer kicks.
- Jumping on a balance beam.
- Layups.
Hard surfaces, poor mechanics, and improper footwear can also increase your risk of getting turf toe.
Turf Toe Symptoms
To prevent further damage, recognize these turf toe symptoms:
- Bruising.
- Limited range of motion. You’ll have trouble bending the big toe downward; it will feel stiff.
- Extreme difficulty walking. Big toe pain may get so severe that you can’t put weight on it.
- Pain. Turf toe pain is typically present at the base of the big toe. It can be constant or only appear when you apply pressure.
- Swelling. This typically appears on the bottom of the foot with a turf toe sprain.
- Unstable joint. The metatarsophalangeal joint may feel loose or pop out of place.
How Doctors Diagnose Turf Toe
To diagnose turf toe, your doctor will physically examine your foot and ask you questions about your activity.
- They’ll ask you for specifics about what type of movement makes the toe hurt and where exactly it hurts.
- They’ll move your toe and foot around to check pain levels, assess the joint’s range of motion and stability, and determine whether the injury has weakened your toe.
- They’ll note how tender, swollen, or bruised the big toe is.
If necessary, they’ll order x-rays to ensure nothing is broken or dislocated. A doctor’s assessment can rule out these other injuries, which often have similar symptoms.
In severe cases, they may order an MRI scan to determine the extent of your soft tissue damage (soft tissue includes ligaments and tendons).
How to Treat Turf Toe
When treating turf toe, your doctor will likely recommend treatment at home.
For treatment of turf toe:
- Stop athletic activity while your toe heals.
- Put your feet up. Limit the amount you walk to prevent further damage to the joint. Also, avoid putting weight on the foot.
- You can treat mild cases at home with rest, ice, and elevation.
- When the pain decreases, physical therapy can restore foot strength and flexion.
- Taping techniques, like kinesiology taping, can limit the mobility of the strained tissue and promote healing. Learning how to tape turf toe is crucial for athletes because proper application can significantly accelerate the healing process.
- More severe cases require a walking boot, which immobilizes the toe.
- The most severe cases may require surgery.
Walking with turf toe is generally OK, especially in cases of mild injury. How long turf toe symptoms last can vary based on the injury’s severity and the treatment’s effectiveness.
What Happens to Untreated Turf Toe?
Untreated turf toe can lead to several long-term complications. Without proper rest and treatment, the ligaments and capsule surrounding the metatarsophalangeal joint might not heal properly, prolonging recovery.
Athletes who don’t get adequate rest or address the cause of their injury can face chronic issues like arthritis and stiffness in the toe (also known as hallux limitus). It’s best not to rush back to sports activities too soon after a turf toe injury.
Steps Toward Preventing Turf Toe
There’s no foolproof way to avoid turf toe, but you can take measures to reduce your risk:
- Opt for shoes with firm soles that can help prevent ligaments from hyperextending. Discuss proper footwear for your sport with an expert.
- Integrate comprehensive warm-up routines that specifically target foot and toe flexibility and strength.
- Practice exercises that strengthen the muscles around the foot and improve overall foot biomechanics.
- Contact UPMC’s sports medicine experts, who can teach you how to apply kinesiology tape for muscle and joint support.
- Find the proper stride. Optimize your biomechanics with a functional movement assessment. The evaluation includes gait analysis and delivers a tailored plan to improve body imbalances.
Are you still wondering if you have turf toe? If you experience pain in the joint of your big toe and it’s limiting your movements, consider seeing a specialist. Prompt assessment is necessary to diagnose the extent of the injury and get you back on your feet.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .