Collingwood is a great place if you like to run, as Chiropodist Tony Abbott does. The Collingwood Trails have over 60 kilometres of trails for all your favorite activities—walking, jogging, skating, and cycling. They also lead to great points of interest in the area, such as Sunset Point, the Arboretum gardens, or even downtown. If you love to run, but a foot injury has been holding you up, you may wonder how to get back to running after turf toe, for example.
Turf toe is a sprain in the joint where the toe joins the foot. Football players experienced this injury more often when they began playing on artificial turf, which is how it got its name. When the toe is stuck on the ground and the heel is raised, the toe can bend too far backwards, and the soft tissue around it can be stretched or torn. The sprain can be mild or severe, but should never be ignored.
At Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic we understand running injuries and will find conservative treatments whenever possible to get your feet in shape again. RICE therapy—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—usually brings good results in one to six weeks, depending on the severity of your sprain.
Once your turf toe has healed, it’s tempting to get right back to your usual running routine. This is not a good idea. You need to ease back into running gradually to avoid reinjuring the joint. Start with walking, gradually interspersed with short distances of jogging. When you have worked up to half your usual distance jogging, start running that distance and increase it by 10 percent every few days. Avoid hills at first, since they will put more strain on the joint. If you feel pain—stop. You don’t want to set yourself up for a chronic problem that will plague you for the rest of your life.
Call our office in Collingwood, ON, today at (705) 444-9929 for expert tips on running and great foot care. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more information about foot health.
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