You hear about “turf toe” most commonly during the NFL season. It’s a frequent injury in that sport.

However, it’s also common in many other sports including soccer, basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, and dance.

The most common cause of turf toe is the hard artificial turf surfaces many teams in the NFL used to play on. In reality, moving on a hard surface of any kind with soft-soled shoes puts you at high risk for a “turf toe” injury.

Despite its name, the injury really describes a sprain to the ligaments surrounding the big toe. It’s a painful injury. And if you remember watching the Super Bowl, it limited Patrick Mahomes’ mobility and played a role in the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to Tampa Bay.

To make things complicated, the injury doesn’t necessarily happen immediately. It can actually take some time and wear and tear to fully develop.

How Is Turf Toe Diagnosed?

Your doctor will begin by looking for swelling and bruising around your big toe. The big toe joint, or “MTP” joint, will be checked for range of motion.

To gauge the full extent of the injury and rule out other possible injuries, your doctor may also subject you to an x-ray or MRI.

How Do You Treat Turf Toe?

Treatment depends on the severity of the injury. You can be assigned one of three grades of the injury (grade 1, 2, or 3).

Treatment for grade 1 includes:

1. RICE – Rest Ice Compression Elevation
2. Use of NSAIDs to reduce pain and swelling
3. Wearing a rigid graphite insert to immobilize your big toe
4. Using a walking boot
5. Engaging in range of motion exercises after 3-5 days of rest

Treatment for grade 2 includes:

1. Taking 3-14 days off from sports
2. Use of a rigid graphite insert or walking boot to immobilize your big toe
3. Engaging in light exercises with the goal of slowly returning to full activity

Treatment for grade 3 includes:

1. Several weeks of immobilization, which could include a walking boot or crutches
2. Early and extensive physical therapy
3. At least 8 weeks of rest from intense athletic activity
4. If symptoms persist, surgery may be  necessary

Surgery is usually only necessary in rare and serious cases.

The good news is that you can fully recover from turf toe injuries. It may take longer than you want. But you can absolutely get back to your former self with time and adequate rest.