Got Hammertoes?
If one or more of your toes is abnormally bent at the joint, there’s a good chance you’ve got hammertoes. The toe joint closer to the rest of your foot makes an upside-down V shape due to a deformity in your muscles tissues. They can make shoes uncomfortable, cause you pain and stiffness, as well as make you feel self-conscious about wearing open-toed shoes. To make matters worse, the top or front parts of the toes can be subject to pressure or friction, making it vulnerable to developing blisters or corns.
Causes: There are several possible causes for developing hammertoes, including hereditary factors, injuries, improper fit of shoes, arthritis, and even diabetes.
Treatments: Depending on when you catch and begin treatment on hammertoes, there are several possible options.
- Flexible Hammertoes: If your toes can be pulled or pressed flat, your hammertoes are still flexible. The treatment usually involves padding for the top of the toes, as well as taping the toe straight. If you have pain or swelling, ice packs can help relieve symptoms. Foot exercises are also recommended to make the toes stronger and able to flatten out. Your podiatrist will recommend that you get shoes that have more room in the toebox so that they do not put pressure on the top of the shoes that can ultimately form corns or make them worse. Use a warm foot soak and pumice stone to file down any corns.
- Rigid Hammertoes: Unfortunately, rigid hammertoes will probably require surgery to correct the problem. Surgery is not usually approached unless it causes pain for the patient, or if it interferes with quality of life.
If the hammertoe is on the second toe, as opposed to other toes, it may indicate something else more serious. In particular, it can be due to an injury to the plantar plate ligament. A tear in this ligament can result in the toe bending up like a hammertoe with pain and redness. This type of injury requires surgery to properly treat the issue.
Got a hammertoe that is painful? Make sure it’s not something more serious by coming in to see our podiatrists. If it is not a plantar plate ligament tear, they may recommend padding and taping, NSAIDs, or even a cortisone injection for pain. If there is pain, it is best to promptly make an appointment at Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group to get an assessment. One of our board-certified podiatrists, Dr. Douglas H. Richie, Dr. Jeremy L. Cook, Dr. Faye E. Izadi can look over your feet at either of our Seal Beach, CA and Los Alamitos, CA offices in Orange County.
