Looks like one of mine has come down with turf toe (though the appearance of it was odd - just got out of the shower at home, and bam). Anyone have any recommendations on rehab? My athletic trainer is pushing R.I.C.E. but I always get skeptical when told to not move something in order to heal it.
You should be skeptical. Who can wait for things to heal? Not me now or ever. Why should you wait? Even surgery or far more serious issues need to be addressed as proactively as possible.
The toe as a sprain. That does not mean it needs to be cut off or the athlete needs to be in bed for 3 weeks.
Be creative and realize it means you need to do different and remember what I have said before. Injuries can often be an invite for different that just might expand fitness in the process of having to work around an injury or issue.
I am not saying you are not already doing all that is needed. Maybe you are but keep an open and curious mind and be prepared to be wrong and be prepared to accept what might not be the right solutions.
Your instinct is already good. Don’t forget there are lots of trained professionals that are paid for what they do and that’s fine but is their business model based on sinking or floating or will they get paid regardless? We already know most of the models out there have nothing to lose at all for the advice they had little issue charging 60 bucks for 10 min or 100 bucks for a visit.
Have you heard of Dragons’s Den? It’s a business show where 4 to 5 very successful business people sit and listen to want to be business creators looking for money to grow their business. There is a Canadian and an American version each named something different. Anyway, the experts always want to know if the people pitching their business for investments are doing this full time or part time. In other words are they hedging their bets regarding success or not?
Frustration for more and different and success drove Charlie because he had to end his career so fast from a lot of preventable issues. This attitude combined with an unwillingness to accept bullshit when he saw it and then go ahead and do something about it. That is how he succeeded.
He was difficult to oppose but often right when it came to things he had a lot of experience on. And it taught me to not compromise with the things I know for sure.
What I would do is this.
The entire foot is likely traumatized. One reason surgery on feet and toes is often a bad ideas is think about what tendons, nerves and ligaments are involved and it does not take much to imagine the possible messed up choices that might go wrong. There are too many variables going on and everything is small and interconnected so you need to be careful. SO>>>>>>
TREAT the entire food because the better you do that the greater the chances of success as the foot needs to be loose and working properly to get the circulation going to other parts of the foot i.e. the big toe.
Set up the two pales of water, one hot and one cold with ice and start doing as many of these contrast baths as possible during the day.
If possible do pool workouts and use the foot as little if any as possible to get the swelling down.
Avoid any aggravation of the foot and toe as long as possible.
Sit ups / not sure of the background but now could be the time to get volumes going on this front per day. Have a high sit up day and a lower one and keep doing varied sit ups as a supplement to not having the chance to run.
All sort sorts of plyos including push ups providing no foot involvement. The key rule in anything you do it DONT AGGRAVATE THE FOOT IN ANY WAY. TOTOAL rest for the foot does not mean total rest for the athlete.
Get the idea?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of those you feel might be able to help. Here included.
I hope that helps and keep up the good work as your instincts to accept do less is bang on.
If you can EMS now would be the time. Foot and or calves.
Epson salt baths are also good.
Keeping the ankles loose and rotation of ankles as part of what you are going to do.
Leave no stones unturned. Let me know if you need more ideas.
Angie, thank you so much for all this, its really appreciated. Will definitely start to fit your ideas into the little bit we’re doing now. Hopefully this will go down as a short term inconvenience and not a world ender.
Does not have to be a world ender at all. Trust me.