A Norton Healthcare doctor explains the uncommon injury and how it can affect those playing high-impact sports.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow suffered an injury to his toe that could sideline the quarterback for up to three months.
Burrow was diagnosed with a “turf toe” sustained during the Bengals game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What exactly is “turf toe?”
According to Louisville-based Dr. Andrew Harston of the Norton Orthopedic Institute, turf toe is an injury to a person’s big toe joint when ligaments, tendons and soft tissues in the joint stretch or tear due to the toe being hyperextended.
While it is uncommon, those who experience turf toe have difficulties pushing off their toe with upward force while running. It can affect anyone, typically those who participate in high-impact activities like football, soccer, or dance.
Harston recommends wearing proper footwear to prevent turf toe.
“Athletes when given the choice would rather wear the flimsiest of shoes that has nothing that would restrict any of their athletic performance,” Harston said. “Trying to get more safeguards as far as keeping the shoes from hyperextending beyond what the body can handle has been a point of emphasis.”
He adds turf toe gets better by resting, applying ice and using over-the-counter pain relievers. However, severe injuries like Burrow’s require surgery.
Burrow’s injury will be a major blow to the Bengals as they are 2-0 on the season and have several games with teams who have made the playoffs recently.
It’s unclear exactly when Burrow will have his surgery. He is expected to miss about three months.
“This is a considerable amount of force that more often happens in high-impact activities such as football. We see it in our soccer players because they’ll have a lot of impact directly to the toe with that upward force,” Dr. Harston said. “This is not a common injury for people who are just trying to stay in shape.”
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