Lacrosse and Field Sport Foot Injuries

Lacrosse is hard on feet. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons says the running and side-to-side cutting in lacrosse are common causes of injuries to the foot and ankle. What follows is a test for the care after the injury, one that separates a plan from a shrug.

A name for the injury comes first

The standard for any field-sport foot or ankle injury is plain. You leave the visit knowing what the injury is called and which part of the foot or ankle it involves. "Rolled it" and "just sore" are starting guesses, not diagnoses. Turf toe is one named diagnosis worth reading about before an appointment, and the Cleveland Clinic page on turf toe is a sensible place to begin.

On track or falling short

A sound visit starts with your story. The clinician asks how the pain began, whether in a cut, a landing or a push-off, and then examines the foot instead of guessing. You should be able to repeat the plan back in two sentences: what is hurt, and what happens next.

Care that falls short has its own look. There is no name for the problem, no plan, and no word about when you can play again. "See how it feels" is not a plan, because it gives you nothing to measure.

The shortcut: tape it and keep playing

The common shortcut in field sports is to tape the foot, play through and leave the question open. It looks like commitment. What it costs is the one thing a plan exists to give you, which is a clear point where the foot has passed or failed. The Foot Health Facts page on lacrosse injuries to the foot and ankle is a published reference you can hold your own situation against.

A follow-up with a date on it

A real follow-up has a date. Someone looks at the foot again, compares it with the first visit, and says whether the plan holds or changes. Whether the field is in Elk Grove Village or three towns over, ask for that recheck before you leave the first appointment.

One question before the next practice

Ask a single question: "What has to be true before I play, and who confirms it?" A specific condition and a named person mean the plan is sound. "Whenever it feels okay" means ask again. Bring a published reference, such as the AAOS OrthoInfo entry on turf toe, and compare it with what you were told.