I've had a sore tendon on my right toe on and off for about 2 years now (from windsurfing) and have found wearing thongs somewhat painful as occassionally just walking along my tendon on the top of the toe feels like it's clicking / popping. So yesterday I was on my last broad reach really pushing it when I felt the toe / tendon pop. I had my toes curled up locking me into the straps. Whilst I can walk on it gingerly I'm unsure if anyone else has had a similar injury and what sort of rehab you can do for a big toe.

Any advice appreciated (apart from a spoonful of cement) as I need my big toe to sail with.

PS - I don't sail in my thongs either.

The clicking suggests you have Tendonitis in your big toe. I got it years ago when I was sailing 3-4 days a week. Arnica cream or ointment worked well, just rub it on the toe and after a couple of weeks the lump went down and the clicking sound and the friction feeling when I moved the toe disappeared. I went and saw a specialist, he put me on voltaran but that didn't help it, so I search for other anti Inflamatory stuff and found the arnica, Brauers make some.

Or it's something else.

Cheers
Graeme

Go to an ortho surgeon. There may be some tendon repair needed. I had something similar with my thumb. put up with the aches for over a year before I finally had enough. Got refered to an ortho and got sorted out within a few months. Hand it perfectly fine now.

At least go for a consult.

Bugger, bloody injuries, if tendon has detached, get it looked at sooner than later as they can atrophy with time and become difficult to re-attach

Thanks for the valuable feedback guys. I don't think it has detached although it does cause considerable pain curling the toe up. Curling down is fine it's only up that hurts. Have rubbed voltaren in and will check out that cream too. Just really curious if any other sailors have experienced this injury as we do tend to really curl our toes up when sailing extremes - (ocean sailing for me all of the time)

Will give it a week before getting referral. I spent the better half of 2003 having a 100% rupture of my patella tendon reattached - my patella was wired to my tibia so the tendon could repair itself.

try this stuff Snags mate gave me some after telling him about my lingering tennis elbow and it worked a treat, not for humans(meant for horses) but we are all animals

Thanks Choco - I'll ask my veterinarian Father-in-law whether he'll need to get me shod and my mane clipped if I use it.

Anyone tried Thermalife. It has that Arnica compound that GWilko mentioned in his post. http://www.thermalife.com.au/product/thermalife-active-gel/

Snags, you should probably look at the underlying cause. Can you adjust your foot straps so you don't have to curl your toes so much?

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John340 said..

Snags, you should probably look at the underlying cause. Can you adjust your foot straps so you don't have to curl your toes so much?

John,
I might tighten them fractionally but as I sail open ocean I don't have much option but to curl my toes up to keep me connected to the board. I don't believe I'd last too long sailing broad through waves and chop with my front foot relaxed and toes flat. Unless I can nail my feet to the board there's not a lot of options keeping it all tight and connected to the board.

I used to have my straps really tight too but found I ended up damaging my feet as it was like wearing undersized shoes and going for a run. They're definitely not loose like wave sailors have them either - I can't figure out why they do this as the chances of breaking an ankle are magnified getting your whole foot and ankle jammed up into the strap.

On the toe front I have been icing the top of foot and big toe and applying voltaren (and haven't sailed since Sunday but only because I don't have a harness hook) and stretching it up against a wall. Still sore but much better than 3 days ago.

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sausage said..

John340 said..



Snags, you should probably look at the underlying cause. Can you adjust your foot straps so you don't have to curl your toes so much?

John,

I might tighten them fractionally but as I sail open ocean I don't have much option but to curl my toes up to keep me connected to the board. I don't believe I'd last too long sailing broad through waves and chop with my front foot relaxed and toes flat. Unless I can nail my feet to the board there's not a lot of options keeping it all tight and connected to the board.

I used to have my straps really tight too but found I ended up damaging my feet as it was like wearing undersized shoes and going for a run. They're definitely not loose like wave sailors have them either - I can't figure out why they do this as the chances of breaking an ankle are magnified getting your whole foot and ankle jammed up into the strap.

On the toe front I have been icing the top of foot and big toe and applying voltaren (and haven't sailed since Sunday but only because I don't have a harness hook) and stretching it up against a wall. Still sore but much better than 3 days ago.

you need to start using the kite style footstraps. reg at windsurfing perth had them for about $15 for a set. Solved all my shin splints problems coz i wasnt having to lift the toes to keep my feet in the straps. might solve your problems. It also stopped me wearing holes in the tops of my feet all the time too, but that was when I sailed a lot.... i work too much these days to worrie about such things!