Nagging pain around the big toe may seem like a minor problem compared to other sports injuries, but it could make a big difference on the basketball court. Pain in the big toe can rob you of your quick first step, your leaping ability or your lateral movement. The good news, however, is that pain in the big toe is often symptomatic of a pair of injuries that are easily diagnosed and treated by a physician.
Big Pain in the Smallest Bones
While most bones in the human body are connected to other bones at the joints, a few select bones are not connected to any other bones, and instead are housed inside muscle or tendons. These bones are known as sesamoids, and two of those bones, about the size of a kernel of corn, are located at the base of the big toe. The sesamoids point downward, giving the flexor tendons in the big toe greater capacity to bear weight and push off in a forward direction. However, repeated impact to the sesamoids, especially on a hard surface such as a hardwood or blacktop court, can cause a case of inflammation known as sesamoiditis.
Treating Sesamoiditis
The most effective treatment for sesamoiditis is the one athletes typically dread most -- rest. For a mild case of sesamoiditis, applying ice and taking a small, regular dose of aspirin or ibuprofen can be effective in relieving the inflammation. When you return to the court, you may consider taping the toe to prevent bending it upward, as well as wearing a foam cushion around the sesamoid bones and the balls of the feet. If a doctor diagnoses the injury as a fracture of the sesamoids, rather than just an inflammation, he may tell you to wear a brace for four to six weeks.
Turf Toe on the Hardwood
While it may most often be associated with football, turf toe is also a common injury among basketball players, which results from a hyperextension of the metatarsophalangeal joint. Simply put, turf toe can be brought on by bending the big toe backward, whether by jamming the toe on a quick cut or landing on a jump or by smaller, repeated traumas to the big toe. A case of turf toe may begin with symptoms of pain and swelling, but if turf toe is left untreated, it could result in the tearing of the capsule surrounding the MTP joint. Damage to the joint produces severe pain when a player tries to run or push off on the court.
Rebounding from Turf Toe
Much like a case of sesamoiditis, if a doctor diagnoses you with a case of turf toe, he will often prescribe rest first and foremost, as well as treating the symptoms with ice, elevation and an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. However, for many competitive athletes, rest is simply not an option. In those cases, you may choose to immobilize the toe with tape, a brace or orthotics. Still, resisting rest may make the injury more severe, forcing you to spend weeks or even months enduring the pain of turf toe.
