Ring toe sore?

[u/shessublime]

I don't remember doing anything specific to injure it, but for the last couple months my "ring toe" (lol - the one beside the little toe) on my left foot has felt bruised. It's the non-anklet foot in photos. I don't notice it in regular day to day movements, but when I relevé or do that one foot stretch where your toes are turned under (pictured in 3 - I can typically stand on my toes like this ikywim), it hurts. Resting hasn't helped (I've had stretches of no classes bc summer). Touching or manipulating the area doesn't hurt at all and feels totally normal.

Any ideas or things to try? I'm a middle-aged recreational (but lifelong) dancer.

[u/DanceHackRock]

Sorry that I don't have help for you. Funny that you also call it ring toe :-)

[u/Old_Weird_1828]

Maybe see a podiatrist? You might have something like a hairline fracture or bone spur or something that would need an X-ray to see. Otherwise maybe buddy taping it to your flipping the bird toe and icing it after practice.

[u/shessublime → u/Old_Weird_1828]

I may have to try that for class tonight. The weird thing is it's not like the toeeeee but the... Spot where the toe joins to your foot (God, I should probably learn names of things) that hurts.

I'll try pairing it with the F U toe this evening!

[u/Decent-Historian-207 → u/Old_Weird_1828]

That was going to be my advice to buddy tape for awhile and see how it goes. Maybe alternate ice and heat too

[u/Ok_Berry_38]

I mean I had a toe injury where it also felt bruised but it was my second toe and it only lasted like 3-4 weeks. It also hurt during releve but it hurt equally as much to press it into the floor when I was just standing on flat feet. Does it hurt for you too in that way?

[u/shessublime → u/Ok_Berry_38]

Nope, really just releve or that toe crunch position. I keep forgetting about it until class or stretching randomly at home!

[u/shessublime]

I taped it tonight and I do think it helped a little. If it doesn't get better I'll eventually my way to a doc. Hopefully I just tweaked it somebody and it's working itself out

[u/Aurora_Hughes]

No point tenderness makes a stress fracture less likely, which is good. Ring toe pain on relevé and toe curls sounds like plantar plate or Morton's neuroma to me. I'd try a metatarsal pad but two months is long enough, see a dance physio.