So another athlete down with nothing other than a darn toe injury!!

With Clemson running back Andre Ellington missing the next two games with a toe injury, it is unlikely that the Tigers will become bowl eligible. Sorry Clemson fans!

So what happened? Well, the same thing that happened to San Diego Chargers star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson. Turf toe strikes again! We have written about this before and I will waste no time to link you to our great turf toe article written and available for your perusal. Only wish Andre Ellington knew what he was in for. Being as young as he is, he will most likely heal without incident. Then again, being as young as he is, he may also jump back into what is left of the season a little sooner than recommended. If you are listening Andre, don’t do it! Let this heal and help avoid what could end up being an arthritic toe later on in life that may end your career sooner than intended!

Let this serve as yet another reminder to all of us, athletes or not, that the big toe is just that important! The mere jamming of the toe is enough to jump start an arthritic process. Micro tears in the cartilage cushioning the joint can become deep fissures down to the bone over time. These are allowed to wear down until there is no cartilage to cushion the joint and suddenly there is joint pain when before there was none!

Do not ignore joint pain! It is not normal. Even though it can go away, it will more than likely return more frequently over time and return with a vengeance. As podiatrists, we do not merely treat injuries; we pride ourselves as a profession of prevention! Recurrence prevention is just as important as eliminating the initial pain. Heed our recommendations if we point you to certain shoes or inserts or functional orthotics to better control any foot instability. The cliché is true, prevention is key!