Hammertoes are as painful as they sound due to the defect that they cause in your toes. They trigger toes to collapse due to the middle joint of the toe pointing upwards. Unsuitable footwear can cause hammertoes and also make the pain they cause worse. The pain can be felt in the small toes, or any of them if the joint becomes fixed in a bent place. Resistance occurring on the toes against the insides of shoes produces an unevenness in the tendons. This causes a problem with regulating the toes and preventing them from straightening and bending normally. This can be due to severe strain caused by an injury as well.
Treatment for this condition includes:
● Use custom orthotics. This may sound simple, but they provide maintenance and physical therapy to decrease tension in the tendons. They also support muscles in the feet that are weakened by hammertoes.
● Wear shoes with wide toe boxes so your toes do not bunch up in a small place.
● Surgery may be required when the deformity caused by hammertoes becomes overly bent and painful. Surgical procedures will act to straighten the deformed toe. This becomes useful when treatment had not been sought for until too late. The toe joint may also be removed if it’s preventing the deformed toe from straightening, there may be a re-routing of the tendon in the toe so that it can be straightened and allow the joint to relieve pressure, and, the bones of the toes may need to be reduced to reduce pain and allow them to develop in an ordinary manner.
Here at the Foot Care Specialists, PC, located in Quincy (The South Shore, Boston, Metro West area) and Dedham (Boston, Metrowest) in Massachusetts, our podiatrist, Dr. Marshall L. Lukoff, has what it takes to help your hammertoes unbend from their painful positions through the use of advanced treatment tailored to your specific needs. Please make an appointment with our offices by calling and check out our services for more information about hammertoes and how we can help!