“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Turf Toe....What??

I know you have been awaiting the results from my appt with the podiatrist.  The official diagnosis was that I have "Turf Toe". 
So, what is "turf toe"? 
Turf toe is a condition of pain at the base of the big toe, located at the ball of the foot. The condition is usually caused from either jamming the toe, or pushing off repeatedly when running or jumping. The most common complaint is pain at the base of the toe, but you may also have symptoms of stiffness and swelling.  My symptoms were pain in the ball of my foot and burning sensation in my big toe.
What is the treatment?
Treatment of turf toe consists of controlling the inflammation of the joint capsule. The most important aspect of treatment is to rest the sore toe to allow the inflammation to subside and the joint capsule to heal. In addition to resting the toe, inflammation can be controlled by icing the area, and elevating the foot, and anti-inflammatory meds.
Athletes diagnosed with turf toe should avoid their sport at least three weeks (not going to happen)to allow the joint capsule to heal. Without doing so, the injury can progress, and can lead to an even longer recuperation. It is not uncommon for athletes to try to come back too soon, or to try to play through the injury. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a more chronic injury, and ultimately a longer recovery.

Ok, so my Dr. offered to give me a steroid shot in the ball of my foot. Um, NO Thank you... so he wrote me a prescription for oral steroids and told me to take it easy.  Really?  Take it easy?  I have a Half Marathon that is begging to be run sub-2hrs in exactly 11 days.  I promised I would take it easy after April 24th, and I will. Relatively. 

Anyone else ever have "Turf Toe"?  I would like to know what kind of recovery time I'm looking at.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I finally got new shoes!  I went over to Fleet Feet on Friday.  I've been wearing Mizuno's for the last 6 months and really like them, so I decided to stay with Mizuno.  After measuring my feet the guy suggested I go up a half size to a 9.5.  I've never had any problems with my size 9's, but I figured he knew better than me, so I agreed. 
I ended up getting the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6
I tried them out yesterday for the first time and was a little disappointed.  I think I need to go back down to a size 9.  After my run I had blisters on both big toes.  I've NEVER had blisters on my toes before or any pain on my toenails.  I'm thinking that my toes have too much room to move around.  I ran a total of 11 miles in them yesterday and tried another 6.25 miles this morning.  Tomorrow I will be making another trip to Fleet Feet. Thankfully Fleet Feet will exchange your running shoes even after you run in them.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Last, week because of allergies and congestion I only ran a total of 12 miles and I totally wussed out of the 5k on Sunday......I also consumed the rest of the Easter candy.  On a positive note, there is no more candy in the house.LOL!

Hope you are all having a great week!  

If you're new to my blog, welcome! If you're not new, thanks for stopping by!  I love reading your comments and feedback!
Grace and peace,

11 comments:

ajh said...

Glad the Easter candy is gone. It is at my house too. It just kept calling out to me from the cupboard where I had "hidden" it. Hope your turf toe heels soon!

misszippy said...

Never had turf toe. Be glad you passed on the shot--I had one for PF a couple of years ago and it HURTS! Keep up the icing/ibuprofen and maybe you can make some good progress.

Julie said...

Hi April,
Good to know about the shoes...I am looking for a new brand to try out and love to hear what other people think. I hope that your toe issues get better...hang in there:)

5 Miles Past Empty said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog!!

Man, i thought for sure the size up in your shoe would help your turf tow, guess not. =( Glad fleet feet will take them back!!

Good luck with your recovery! Ice, elevation and anti inflamatory...between runs! I feel ya on the rest after the race thing!

Good luck!

Wendy said...

I'm glad the Easter candy is gone too. :)

Hope your recovery is fast!

Glenn Jones said...

Fleet Feet is a reputable store, so I'm sure they have a good return policy. Take advantage of it to get shoes that fit.

Also - are we seeing a trend here? Turf toe in the old shoes. Blisters on your big toes in te new shoes. Has anyone looked at your gait? Sound like you may be pronating and pushing off on your big toes instead of the center of your foot. You can buy shoes that can help correct that (Asics GT2150, etc.). It's worth talking to someone knowledgeable about it.

Molly said...

Turf toe? That's a new one! Hopefully things get squared away for you at Fleet Feet, and you'll be all set for your race!

Sherri said...

Never had turf toe...but I had a broken toe..and those little toes can cause a ton of pain! I hope it holds up for your half!
I bought Mizuno's for the first time this season...and I have loved them! I was nervous to try a new brand!

Irene said...

Turf toe? I've never heard of it, but now that you've discussed it I'm sure I'll see it everywhere! I hope it resolves itself. Did the doc want to put you on prednisone? Just curious. Certain steroids inhibit healing and are not absorbed into the body to produce muscles, but I'd be wary, too, especially with the injection! Yikes. That sounds more painful than what is actually bothering you.

Mizunos were my first running shoes. I felt like a real runner when I bought those babies, then they went and changed it. *sigh*

Take care!!!

Unknown said...

I have several years of experience playing on artificial surfaces. I personally have never had any injuries relating to the surface itself. I am not sure if certain injuries are specifically related to surface. I do know one complaint that I hear most of the time while competing on artifical surfaces is how hot the surface is. Athletes feet burn very bad. I believe the turf gets up to around 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Could this problem result or lead to some of the injuries that are believed to be associated with turf? I have tried to find a product that prevents or blocks out the heat and one that I found was a company called Turf Insoles ( www.turfinsoles.com ) Hopefully, there product will help athletes and perhaps prevent some injuries.

Unknown said...

I have several years of experience playing on artificial surfaces. I personally have never had any injuries relating to the surface itself. I am not sure if certain injuries are specifically related to surface. I do know one complaint that I hear most of the time while competing on artifical surfaces is how hot the surface is. Athletes feet burn very bad. I believe the turf gets up to around 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Could this problem result or lead to some of the injuries that are believed to be associated with turf? I have tried to find a product that prevents or blocks out the heat and one that I found was a company called Turf Insoles ( www.turfinsoles.com ) Hopefully, there product will help athletes and perhaps prevent some injuries.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...