Soccer can be considered a rough sport where players frequently collide with others. During the confusion of the exciting and beautiful game, other players may hit you or slide straight into opposing soccer players. It’s easy to overlook taking time to save yourself from injury if you are not in acute pain. Players frequently face various soccer toe problems during the game.
Some of the most common toe problems that players face are:
Bruised Toenail:
A bruised toenail is the most common toe injury faced by soccer players. It can happen when a player steps on your foot. It causes a beautiful blue and black strain from the injured blood vessel.
Pain from the blood pressure under the nail building up should start within 24 hours. Once the pressure has increased, the fun part begins since treating the bruised nail often results in drilling a small hole into the nail.
So it is advised that you visit a specialist who will make a tiny hole in your nail so that the blood can escape. Worry not; the procedure is usually painless and will rapidly cure the discomfort under the nail. The injured nail should fall off, but you must be careful while playing until a new nail takes its place.
Turf Toe:
An unexpected change in direction can result in many soccer toe injuries. And turf toe is only one of the numerous sprains from the movement. The metatarsophalangeal joint is strained when a soccer player changes directions by propelling off the big toe.
Flat feet or soft cleats are common causes of turf toe when playing on artificial turf. Fortunately, this sprain won’t take you off the field for the entire season and only requires repeated ice applications.
After resting the sprain, taping it up will assist limit the expansion of the joint when you push off again and prevent the injury from getting worse.
Toenail Fungus:
It’s disgusting, and you would not want to discuss it. However, discussing it helps you avoid getting it and treat it when you do.
When your soccer toe contacts a colonized surface, the toenail will get infected and spread. It may be any surface, such as shower floors, flip-flops, socks, shoes, and other places. Since it will probably take a daily prescription pill for 12 weeks to clear up, prevention is easier than treatment.
To avoid it, keep your soccer toenails trimmed, wear comfortable, well-fitted shoes, avoid going barefoot in public or avoid sharing your shoes and nail care products. You can avoid the black toenail fungus better if you share less with others.
Athlete’s Foot:
The first thing everyone thinks of when they associate with the locker room is the athlete’s foot, which quickly spreads from person to person. It appears as a red foot rash that primarily appears between the toes before spreading to the entire foot. The fungi quickly infect surfaces, making it simple to spread from one person to another.
The first guideline for avoiding soccer toe issues will always be to avoid going barefoot in public. If you hate shoes, keep a pair of sandals on hand and avoid contacting the ground with bare feet.
Don’t share your feet gear with others to avoid toe problems. Even if your teammate doesn’t have fungi, it does not mean they do not carry them. Leave your footwear only for you.
The Soccer toe nail fungus can be treated easily with over-the-counter anti-fungal products. But if, after several days of treatment, the fungus does not clear up, then you should visit a doctor to seek advice.
Ingrown Toenails:
An ingrown toenail grows into the toe pad rather than straight from the foot. The ingrown soccer toe nail is frequently caused by the downward strain that running and sprinting put on your nail.
As a soccer player, you can eliminate your ingrown toenails by properly caring for your feet and cutting your nails frequently. When taking care of your nails, cut them horizontally and leave a tiny nail extension over the toe pad.
If you become infected, you should regularly soak your toes in Epsom salt for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day. You should place cotton beneath the nail to speed up the healing process.
You will not get instant results, but you will see significant improvements in the soccer nail after doing the procedure for several days.
As a soccer player, you need to take care of your soccer toe and feet the same way a musician takes care of his or her instrument. So it is very important to provide proper care to soccer toes. A few times during the season, a team pedicure wouldn’t be a bad idea!
