Help needed on foot injury

[z1ggy]

Dislocated my big toe and sprained the tendons etc. 2 weeks ago in my rugby game. I have a game tomorrow (friday) and I want to play badly. There is still pain in the toe area, but its not terrible and I feel like I could possibly tolerate it for a little while, as I don't expect to be able to last the entire game. Is there anything I could do before hand during the day today and tomorrow to help lessen the pain and to maybe prevent anything from happening again? I have been doing hot/cold treatment to it to reduce swelling, but that is really it.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: z1ggy
Dislocated my big toe and sprained the tendons etc. 2 weeks ago in my rugby game. I have a game tomorrow (friday) and I want to play badly. There is still pain in the toe area, but its not terrible and I feel like I could possibly tolerate it for a little while, as I don't expect to be able to last the entire game. Is there anything I could do before hand during the day today and tomorrow to help lessen the pain and to maybe prevent anything from happening again? I have been doing hot/cold treatment to it to reduce swelling, but that is really it.

You can't play tomorrow. It's almost as simple as that. You need to go through therapy and bring those tendons back to a healthy position before you strain them even worse. A foot injury will continue to get worse. I had tendinitis - kept running on it. Its swelling promoted a hairline fracture. That is how an injury works. You need to do some strengthening exercises, which I can type/show you if you PM me. The foot is one thing that I have a fair amount of experience with, especially when it comes to sprains. Also, how long do you do the hot/cold treatment for and for what intervals?

 

[z1ggy]

3 mins hot 1 min cold for 15 minutes. Then I stretch the toe down wards 30 times.. then upwards 30 times. Well.. I want to play tomorrow.. we only have like two games left and I already missed two. I played a little soccer yesterday and it hurt a little bit, but today it doesnt feel any worse. If I can play for a little while atleast, I would be happy.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: z1ggy
3 mins hot 1 min cold for 15 minutes. Then I stretch the toe down wards 30 times.. then upwards 30 times. Well.. I want to play tomorrow.. we only have like two games left and I already missed two. I played a little soccer yesterday and it hurt a little bit, but today it doesnt feel any worse. If I can play for a little while atleast, I would be happy.

Too much hot, definitely not enough cold. If you're gonna do that, I would say do 5 minutes of each for at least 3-4 rounds. I would suggest, however, just pure icing for 15-20 minutes, 15-20 minutes off, 15-20 minutes on. Heat will flush some of the things out when being used with ice, but the swelling is going to be a big deal, therefore ice would be ideal. To be perfectly honest with you, it's going to get worse if you play tomorrow. No doctor (even sports-related doctor) would tell you to play on that injury since tendons heal extremely slow and are very prone to worsening. If you wanna make that sacrifice, that's alright and it's your choice, but it's not going to get better. Also those are ok exercises, but don't cover the entire array of motions that you're going to need to maintain proper foot balance and strength.

 

[z1ggy]

well I went to physical therapy and a PT told me to do 3 hot 1 cold.. then I stretch.. then ice for that 15-20 mins. It isn't swollen anymore and doesnt even hurt to walk. Its that strong burst speed that sprinters use that hurts me..I can even jump up and down with minimal pain. I know they do take a while, but tom. night is a really important game.. with a lot of bragging rights... it is easier said than done to just walk away form that game. But ill take your advice and ice it more often. What some other exercises that will help?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: z1ggy
well I went to physical therapy and a PT told me to do 3 hot 1 cold.. then I stretch.. then ice for that 15-20 mins. It isn't swollen anymore and doesnt even hurt to walk. Its that strong burst speed that sprinters use that hurts me..I can even jump up and down with minimal pain. I know they do take a while, but tom. night is a really important game.. with a lot of bragging rights... it is easier said than done to just walk away form that game. But ill take your advice and ice it more often. What some other exercises that will help?

Exercises take 4-6 weeks to actually develop anything significant. Therefore, no exercises will help before tomorrow.

 

[rasczak]

wouldn't play. the older you get, the more having foot pain becomes an issue. I am 33 but I walk like a 60 y/o because of the foot and ankle problems I've played through all of ym life. just take it easy, rugby will always be there, but so will pain if you don't take care of your body.