How to strap a plantar plate tear

A plantar plate tear is a minor tear or sprain to the ligament which is underneath the lessor toe joints in the foot. It is usually related to too much use, especially in activities that require the toes to be bent up or dorsiflexed. The discomfort is often just above the area distal to the joint at the base of the foot. Because this issue is due to the toe bending to far backwards or upwards (dorsiflexing) when walking, strapping is a great strategy to restrict that movement.

The most effective method for taping a plantar plate tear is to loop some tape around the toe to tug the toe down in a plantarflexed placement. The ends of the tape go under the front foot and by looping around the toe it will keep the toe down. The concept being is when we walk, and the rearfoot comes up off the ground and the toe flexes there's less load on the plantar plate because the toe is prohibited from bending up. That way the plantar plate tear taping can really help the damage get better. This may require some time however will likely be effective. Other techniques could be used to assist in preventing the dorsiflexion through the joint which is hurt, such as with a more inflexible sole shoe that is not bendable since this can prevent too much motion in the joints. Additionally, there are stiff plates that can be used as shoe inserts to make the footwear more rigid. A foot support insert which has a cavity over the sore spot could also be used to get load away from the sore spot may also allow it to be much more comfortable to walk on. These types of techniques usually are rather helpful, particularly that strapping. Nevertheless, as we still need to walk about on the foot rather than get complete rest, it may take a few months of this method in order to get a good outcome. Sometimes it does not work out that way or the problem is especially distressing. In those situations, surgery to fix the tear may be suggested.