Football toe pain and foot injuries

Your toes and feet can take an extreme beating during a football season. Broken toes, split toenails, and bone spurs are all common conditions footballers endure. Football toe pain is one of the most agonising issues a player can experience. It may sound small and insignificant, but it is those little niggles that can cause the biggest problems.

Football toe pain can be caused by several issues. Football boots can be too tight, tackles crunch toes, or the studs on the shoes’ bottom can contribute to toe issues.

There are other problems that can cause toe pain in football players. You may suffer from one or more of these during the season. If you don’t know how to treat it, you could be sidelined and unable to play to your potential.

Blisters and Calluses

Many players wear football boots that are smaller than their typical trainers. Players select boots that are a size too small as it allows them to feel the ball and control it better than larger sized boots.

Tight boots can cause blisters and calluses that make it painful to play football. Blisters and calluses can also alter the way you run thus putting pressure on other parts of the legs causing further injury.

Football toe pain and toe spur

According to the Mayo Clinic:

“Bone spurs are bony projections that develop along bone edges. Bone spurs often form where bones meet each other — in your joints. They can also form on the bones of your spine. The main cause of bone spurs is the joint damage associated with osteoarthritis.”
Footballers can develop bone spurs on the insides or outsides of the toes. These are often called toe spurs. Spurs are common in the heels of footballers due to tackles but they can also occur in the toes and forefoot.

Football toe pain and bunions

Bunions can also form on a footballer’s foot. Bunions start slowly and grow larger as time passes. Pain will be felt around the big toe once the bunion fully develops. Players will get a large bump on the inside of the big toe/foot.

The foot and toes can become deformed due to a bunion. It can also lead to other injuries as players put their weight on the outside of their foot when running.

Toe pain and injuries can sideline footballers for long periods. Taking care of your feet is one of the most important things you can do as a footballer.