Soccer toe is a term used to describe injuries to the toes of an athlete.This injury can be caused by repeated impacts against the soccer ball or by extreme contortions sustained during the game.When the player's big toe is hyperextended, turf Toe is the most common occurrence.Repeated impacts on the toe area from kicking the ball can cause this.Soccer toe is one of the most painful injuries that can happen to a soccer player.It's one of the most preventable and treatable.Ice and elevation can be used to treat soccer toe, as well as altering the player's footwear, game habits, and the fields on which they play soccer, in the long-term.
Step 1: After the injury, rest.
Pain, swelling, and limited movement in the injured foot and toe are the first symptoms an injured soccer player will notice.The player needs to rest the injured area so that the injury doesn't get worse and the body can begin to heal.Blood flow to the injured foot should be moderate once the player is at home resting.
Step 2: Ice packs should be put on the injured toe.
Ice should be applied to the injured area immediately.Soccer toe is often accompanied by swelling.Lowering the blood vessels will help minimize swelling.Ice can be applied to the injured area several times a day.The player should be off the foot for at least a few days.If necessary, use crutches.
Step 3: The injured toe should be treated with a heat wrap.
The initial ice pack should be replaced with a warm heat pack.The warm heat pack dilates the blood vessels and promotes the healing process.Return to an ice pack after 20 minutes.For a couple of hours, repeat the ice-heat therapy.The application of heat is less important than icing the injury.It is possible to reduce pain by applying heat to the injured toe.
Step 4: Bind or tape the foot.
Athletic tape can be found in a pharmacy or athletic equipment store.Wrap the tape tightly around the injured area of the player's foot, but be careful not to wrap so tightly that it causes pain or restricts blood flow.Compression supports the injured toe and protects it from further strain, so that further swelling will not be put on them.If the injured player is suffering from a more severe type of turf toe, a doctor may tape them to their adjacent toes to restrict their movement.
Step 5: Administer a pain killer over the counter.
Ibuprofen will combat the pain that the injured player will be experiencing.Your doctor may order a prescription-strength painkiller if over-the-counter medications don't provide enough pain relief or combat swelling.
Step 6: After an injury, wear a stiff-soled shoe.
While you recover from soccer toe, it is important to keep the ligaments behind it immobile.You can find a hard soled boot with a Morton's Extension under the toe.Until the toe is completely healed, this prevents it from bending.It is a common practice to tape an injured toe.This will prevent the ligaments from being over-extended while healing.A preventative measure against turf toe can be done before a soccer game.
Step 7: You should be able to recover for at least three weeks.
A player can easily reinjure the area after sustaining an injury by returning to the field too quickly.Taking three weeks to recover will allow your joint capsule to heal, and will keep you from experiencing further pain while playing.If you want to speed up your recovery, you can try the Tennis Ball Massage: sit in a chair with a tennis ball on the ground in front of you.Roll your foot back and forth if you have an injured foot.For 5 minutes, once or twice a day, you can do this to keep your ligaments flexible and encourage healing.
Step 8: A doctor can give you a full diagnosis.
The soccer toe injury gets worse as you progress through the stages.Only a doctor can tell the extent of the damage.It is important to find out quickly how serious your turf toe is.The joint capsule of the big toe has been stretched too far.The joint capsule of the big toe is partially torn.It will take more than the standard week to heal.This is serious and painful.Soccer toe, type 3 has a torn joint capsule.This is very bad and will take a long time to heal.The kind of nagging injury that doesn't seem to go away can wreak havoc on a player's season.
Step 9: Tell your doctor what you felt when you injured your toe.
It will help with a proper diagnosis.When a player has a soccer toe injury, an audible and painful "pop" or "crack" can be heard and felt.When talking to your doctor, tell them that you kicked the ball wrong and hit it with your toe.It bent back too far, and I heard a sound like a crunch from my toe, so my doctor will likely ask for a patient medical history to find out if the feet or toes have been injured before.
Step 10: Comply with your doctor's instructions.
In severe cases of soccer toe, you may need to sit for an x-ray or have surgery.If the doctor suspects that your toe may be broken, they will take an x-ray to look at the bone.In rare cases, surgery is needed to repair a torn ligament.There may be need for surgery to remove bone spurs from the area.
Step 11: Wear shoes that fit.
Soccer toe is usually caused by an ill-fitting soccer shoe, either a shoe is too small or large, and the player's foot slides in the shoe and slams the toes into the ground.An athletic shoe with a stiff sole can cushion the player's toes from contact with the soccer ball.Soft, flexible athletic shoes increase a player's risk of turf toe, as the shoes do very little to limit the movement of the player.
Step 12: Extra caution should be used when playing on artificial turf.
The cleats of soccer players are more likely to stick in the artificial turf than grass because it is a harder substance.Extra strain will be placed on the players' feet.Even if cleats don't stick in the turf, the artificial turf will cause players to use more force when running and will increase the likelihood of hyperextension.
Step 13: Don't repeat instances of soccer toe.
The soft tissue in the player's foot is at risk of serious damage if a player contracts soccer toe multiple times.When turf toe becomes a chronic condition, it can lead to joint pain and permanent loss of movement.Chronic turf toe is a risk factor for arthritis in the area.