Hammer Toe
A hammer toe is a toe that is contracted at the middle joint in the toe, potentially leading to severe pressure and pain. Ligaments and tendons that have tightened cause the toe's joints to curl downwards. Hammer toes may occur in any toe except the big toe. There is often discomfort at the top part of the toe due to rubbing against the shoe.
Hammer toes are classified based on the mobility of the toe joints. There are two types - flexible and rigid. In a flexible hammer toe, the joint has the ability to move. This type of hammer toe can be straightened manually. A rigid hammer toe does not have that same ability to move. Movement is very limited and can be extremely painful. This sometimes causes foot movement to become restricted leading to extra stress at the ball-of-the-foot, and possibly causing pain and the development of corns and calluses.
Cause
Hammer toes result from a muscle imbalance which causes the ligaments and tendons to become tightened. This results in the joint curling downward. Arthritis can also lead to many different forefoot deformities, including hammer toes.
Treatment
Changing the type of shoes worn is a very important step in the treatment of hammer toes. When choosing a shoe, make sure the toe box (toe area) is high and broad, and can accommodate the hammer toes. A shoe with a high, broad toe box will provide enough room in the forefoot area so that there is less friction against the toes.
Other conservative treatments include using forefoot products designed to relieve hammer toes, such as hammer toe crests. These devices will help relieve the pain in the hammer toe and provide relief to the forefoot. Gel toe shields and gel toe caps are also used to eliminate friction between the shoe and the toe, while providing comfort.
If these conservative treatments fail to provide pain and pressure relief it may be necessary to have surgery to correct the Hammer Toe.
If you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, call today for an appointment.