6/18/2023 0 Comments Hammer toes![]() ![]() Foot injuries, such as stubbed or broken toes, can contribute to the development of hammer toes too. Arthritis is another risk factor – it makes joints stiff and sore. The likelihood of suffering from hammer toes increases with age, as your body loses suppleness. Wearing footwear that’s too narrow or tight at the front ( pointed shoes are a prime example) makes your toes feel cramped, especially if any of them are longer than average, and can stop them lying flat, encouraging deformities. While hammer toes can be a hereditary condition, they’re also linked to lifestyle choices. Plus they can make you self-conscious – you might avoid wearing sandals or walking barefoot. Hammer toes may reduce your mobility and force you to give up activities you enjoy, such as sport. Moving a hammer toe usually hurts, so keeping it flexible is challenging. The bent joints rub against the inside of your shoes, leading to friction burns, inflammation, grazes and sores (which can be open invitations to infections), as well as corns and calluses (areas of hard, thick skin associated with excessive pressure). Pain is the major, most persistent issue caused by hammer toes. Some people have just a single hammer toe, but as MedicineNet’s hammer toes photo shows, others develop more than one, which compounds the problem. Your second, third and fourth toes are most likely to be affected by this common condition. Hammer toes tend to get progressively worse, and without treatment it’s possible for them to lose all flexibility and end up permanently bent. As a result, it’s increasingly difficult for the affected toe to lie flat it curls up and becomes claw-like instead. For example, if you have a weak muscle in one of your toes, the tendons connecting it to the bone can become shorter, tighter and less supple over time. ![]() What causes hammer toes? An imbalance or weakness affecting the foot’s muscles, ligaments or tendons is to blame. Because the tip of the toe points downwards at an unnatural angle, it may develop a stubby appearance resembling the head of a hammer, hence the name of this foot deformity. Hammer toe can be corrected by surgery if conservative measures fail.Instead of lying straight and flat like healthy toes, a hammer toe (sometimes written as hammertoe) is shaped like an upturned ‘v’ due to its middle joint being abnormally bent. This can be done while watching television or reading.įinally, the surgeon may recommend the use of commercially available straps, cushions or non-medicated corn pads to relieve symptoms. Placing a towel flat under the feet and use the toes to crumple the towel.Using the toes to pick things up off the floor.The surgeon may also prescribe some toe exercises that can be done at home to stretch and strengthen the muscles. Sandals may help, as long as they do not pinch or rub other areas of the foot. Alternatively, a shoe repairer may be able to stretch the toe box so that it bulges out around the toe. It may also be possible to find a shoe with a deep toe box that accommodates the hammer toe. (Note: For many people, the second toe is longer than the big toe.) Avoid wearing tight, narrow, high-heeled shoes. Shoes should be one-half inch longer than the longest toe. Patients who have diabetes, poor circulation or a lack of feeling in the feet should talk to their doctor before attempting any self-treatment.Ĭonservative treatment starts with new shoes that have soft, roomy toe boxes. Eventually, the toe muscles become unable to straighten the toe, even when there is no confining shoe. A higher heel forces the foot down and squashes the toes against the shoe, increasing the pressure and the bend in the toe. The toes rub against the shoe, leading to the formation of corns and calluses which further aggravate the condition. However, they also push the smaller toes into a flexed (bent) position. Shoes that narrow toward the toe may make the forefoot look smaller. If the toe is bent and held in one position long enough, the muscles tighten and cannot stretch out. Muscles work in pairs to straighten and bend the toes. Hammer toe results from shoes that don’t fit properly or a muscle imbalance, usually in combination with one or more other factors. This may lead to difficulty finding comfortable shoes. There may also be pain in the toes or feet. People with a hammer toe may have a corn or callus on the top of the middle joint of the toe or on the tip of the toe. Initially, hammer toes are flexible and can be corrected with simple measures but, if left untreated, they can become fixed and require surgery. In this condition, the toe is bent at the middle joint, so that it resembles a hammer. A hammer toe is a deformity of the second, third or fourth toes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |