Toe-Tally Wicked
Meant to post this some time ago but work and life got in the way. Less relevant but still wanted to get it out there!
So… the Chiefs did not win the Super Bowl, nor did they put up that great of a showing save for a couple of players. One of those players was the quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. The line did nothing to help their play caller and he had to run just shy of 1000 yards to evade tacklers behind the line of scrimmage, or so I read online. Even though he was constantly harassed and hit throughout the game, he still made several difficult looking but on target passes. He even hit player in the facemask but they couldn’t get their hands on it. Mahomes did this all the while he was suffering from a reported Turf Toe injury and having to wear a stiffened sole in his shoe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT73wPuX9jg — pretty good parody of how the game went…
Turf Toe, is a sprain of the First Metatarsophalangeal joint, or basically where the toe hinges to bend back toward you when you wiggle it. The bottom of the joint is where the sprain usually occurs. When you hear ‘sprain’ think of tear of ligament or cartilage in the region to some extent. This can be of the capsule that encases the joint or a ligament keeping the joint together. There is occasionally tearing bad enough that other structures are injured such as a tendon that crosses the region. Typically, it is the Flexor Hallicus Longer of Flexor Hallicus Brevis (the muscle that make the big toe curl down).
https://mass4d.com/blogs/articles/causes-and-symptoms-of-turf-toe-injuries
The term Turf Toe obviously encapsulates a few things that could be wrong so I can’t say exactly which Mahomes has issue with but he is having surgery this off season. It can be quite painful when one of the ligaments or tendons tear and then every time the big toe is flexed, especially against resistance, like running or walking, it will hurt considerably. Treatments usually are more aggressive for professional athletes whom are making millions to play the game and perform to a high level, but usually surgery is recommended to the more severe cases which would be ‘grade III’ or those that have a complete tear of the capsule or ligament and possibly the tendons. Otherwise, rest, ice, elevation at home for about 72 hours is recommended for the more minor of these. Taping, stiff soled shoes or a walking boot can be used as well to assist with mobility. Overall, recovery is looking at 3-4 weeks, unless surgery of course. The main bad outcome that can associated with poorly treated turf toe is Hallux Limitus which can progress to Hallux Rigidus. Both of which just deal with limited motion of the big toe due to changes from the inflammation and fusing of the joint.
Thinking about the pain that he must have been in running those near 1000 yard it is very impressing what Mahomes did against the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. I hope he recovers speedily.
As an aside, I talked about the injury to Alex Smith and how it would be remarkable if he came back and played… Well he did and got comeback player of the year! Former Chief so I had to root for him.