I’ve recently noticed the toenail on my left big toe turning black. I had no idea what was going on and I was worried that I might be growing something nasty under there. This morning, while hanging out on the Runner+ Forum, I found out that I’ve got a simple case of a bruised toenail, also known as “Runner’s Toe” or “Black Toe.”

SpartanGirl started the conversation by asking about bruised toenails and what to do about them. Rasmus pointed us to Jeff Galloway’s post on black toe, what it is, and what you can do about it. Jeff explains it like this:

“If a toe is under pressure from the shoe or a sock that is too tight or too thick, the sustained pressure, step after step, produces an impact or a friction problem between the toenail and the tissue surrounding it. When the tissue gets damaged, fluid accumulates.”

Jeff goes on to say that it’s best to simply ignore the black toenail, as long as the pain is manageable. If it gets too bad, he offers some advice on how to relieve the pressure.

Thankfully, my case of black toe isn’t causing me too much pain at the moment. Now that I know what’s going on down there, it’s like a “black badge of courage.” If the problem persists, I can always pick up some of the Deluxe Gel Toe Caps that Rasmus recommends.