With warmer weather around the corner, lots of people are ready to get out of the house, lace up their tennis shoes and get outside. With this said, I would like to take a minute to focus on one of the smallest and many times over looked, body part: the big toe. When we run, we push our foot off the ground stretching the big toe backwards. In sports like football, soccer and track, the toe can be stretched too far, causing irritation. This is known as Turf Toe. You will feel pain on the bottom of your toe joint as you are pushing your foot off the ground when running. Turf Toe is very similar to Achilles Tendonitis. In each case, you are stretching a body part too far, causing irritation and inflammation. In each case, the treatment consists of:

• RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation
• Aspirin - Dr. Reddy will advise if this is appropriate or not
• Getting to the root cause of the condition - make an appointment at Jacksonville's First Coast Foot & Ankle Clinic

If you are wearing shoes that are too flexible, you can easily over-extend your big toe. While athletic shoes should not be too stiff, they should not be too flimsy either; they need to be just right. So if you're training for the upcoming Gate River Run, hitting the gym to get ready for bathing suit season, our just outside getting rid of those winter blues, you want to be able to enjoy these activities pain free. When you make your appointment remember to bring your training shoes with you so Dr. Reddy can properly evaluate if you are getting the protection you need.