Hammertoes: Painful Deformities That Need Medical Intervention
If you notice that one or more of your smaller toes are bending up at the middle joint, you may have a hammertoe.
This deformity is caused by a muscle and ligament imbalance in the toe joint. The middle joint can bend up and stay in this position.
Does your mother or father have hammertoes? They often run in families, but may also be caused by wearing shoes that are too short. Hammertoes are not only unattractive but they can also be painful and cause problems with walking. Also, when the elevated middle joint rubs against your shoes, blisters, and calluses may develop.
Diagnosing and Treating Hammertoes
To confirm our diagnosis of hammertoes, we will give you a thorough medical exam and take x-rays right in our office.
We have several conservative treatment options based on the severity of the deformity:
Anti-inflammatory medication can ease pain and swelling.
For acute pain, cortisone injections will help.
Custom-fitted orthotics that fit inside your shoe can relieve pain and also prevent the hammertoe from getting worse.
In the early stages when the toe is still fairly flexible, splinting may help.
Switch to low-heeled shoes with wide toe boxes and keep at least one-half inch space between your toes and the tip of the shoe.
If the above methods don’t completely help, we may recommend surgery to realign the toe. This surgery may be done on an outpatient basis.
Keep Hammertoes from Getting Worse
Wear supportive, low-heeled shoes that are wide in the toes with plenty of room before the front of the shoe.
Try non-medicated over-the-counter hammertoe pads to relieve pressure from the top of the toe joint.
Massage the toe and apply ice packs to ease pain and swelling.
Try toe exercises like picking up a marble with your toes and scrunching a towel with the toes.
Let Us Help with Hammertoe Pain and Inflammation
If you have pain from hammertoes or any other foot or ankle condition or have suffered any type of foot or ankle injury, please call our board-certified podiatrists Dr. Jonathan M. Levy, Dr. Nadia F. Levy or Dr. Diane M. Castro at Park 56 Podiatry. Our professional staff offers expert podiatry services at our Manhattan office at 120 East 56th Street. Please call us today at (212) 980-6487 to schedule your appointment.
