Toe injury in a beginner skier

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hello, my husband and I decided to learn to ski, after relocating to Colorado from the Midwest. After a couple of outings this season, my big toe on my left foot is sore, swollen and very sensitive. (I suspect this is from not having the boot buckled up tightly enough, and banging my toes into the front.) This has now been going on for nearly 5 weeks. A podiatrist told me a week ago that it's likely a bone bruise, and that they see that all the time among new skiers. It doesn't seem to be getting gradually better, so I would like to get some idea of the time frame required to see some noticable improvement with that type of injury. (It's still painful to walk, even in comfortable shoes.) Thank you.

Dear Megan: According to your description most likely you have a Runner’s toe , which is also called “tennis toe” or “skier’s toe” because it happens most often among runners, tennis players and skiers. Often, a sore toe can lead to a change in gait pattern, which changes the force all the way up the kinetic chain. These changes can lead to knee pain, hip pain and back pain. This condition develops because of repeated pressure downward on the toenails or irritation between the toenails and the shoe. If your shoes are too tight, the constant pressure damages the toe and toenail. If they're too loose, the ongoing movement of the foot inside the shoe results in the same condition. If your toenails are too long, they're a target for getting banged around inside your shoes. What you can do is the following: do not sky for now and keep the area as clean and dry (no cotton socks) as possible. You can return to training as soon as you can stand the discomfort, assuming you have made the necessary adjustments to prevent your toes from constantly rubbing against the top of your shoes. Then, from now on try to wear confortable training shoes, meaning not too big not too tight, trim your toenails regularly and straight across, but not so short that the remaining nail or nail bed is exposed to shoe/toe irritation. Keep your feet as dry as possible (wear socks than wick moisture away from the skin). Lace your shoes more tightly if you run downhill regularly to prevent excessive movement and friction.

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