How Can I Fix My Painful Hammertoe?

A Foot & Ankle Expert’s Guide

Have you noticed one of your smaller toes starting to bend or buckle at the middle joint? Does it rub painfully against the top of your shoes, causing a sore corn or callus to form? If so, you’re likely dealing with a hammertoe, one of the most common foot deformities we treat. In this blog, Foot & Ankle Center of Ohio will walk you through the steps you can take to manage your hammertoe, from simple at-home care to effective professional treatments.

What Exactly Is a Hammertoe?

A hammertoe is a deformity that causes your toe (usually the second, third, or fourth) to bend downward at the middle joint, resembling a hammer.

• In the early stages, the toe is still flexible and can be straightened manually. This is known as a flexible hammertoe.
  
  
• If left unaddressed, the tendons can tighten and the joint can become fixed in its bent position, leading to a rigid hammertoe, which is often more painful and difficult to treat.

Why Do I Have a Hammertoe? Understanding the Cause

While tight, narrow shoes can certainly make the problem worse, they are rarely the root cause. The primary reason a hammertoe develops is a muscle and tendon imbalance in the foot. When the tendons that control the toe become imbalanced, they can pull the joint into its characteristic bent shape.

Factors that contribute to this imbalance often include:

• Heredity: The most common cause is simply an inherited foot type (like flat feet or high arches) that is prone to this imbalance.
• Footwear: Shoes with a narrow, pointed toe box can squeeze the toes and force them into a bent position, accelerating the deformity.
• Toe Length: If your second toe is longer than your big toe, it’s more likely to be forced into a bent position inside a shoe.

What Can I Do About My Hammertoe at Home?

For flexible hammertoes, the goal of at-home care is to relieve pressure and reduce pain. These simple, conservative steps can make a significant difference:

• Change Your Shoes: This is the most important first step. Switch to footwear with a wide, deep toe box that gives your toes plenty of room to lie flat without rubbing.
• Strategic Padding: Use over-the-counter cushions, such as non-medicated corn pads or gel sleeves, to place over the prominent joint. This creates a barrier between your toe and your shoe, reducing friction.
• Gentle Stretching: If your toe is still flexible, you can gently pull on it to stretch the tightened tendons.
• Taping or Splinting: Taping the bent toe to its neighbor can sometimes help hold it in a straighter position and provide relief.

Professional Treatments: The Path to Lasting Relief

A podiatrist can offer more advanced solutions to address both the symptoms and the underlying cause of your hammertoe.

• Custom Orthotics: To address the root biomechanical issue, we can create a prescription orthotic from a 3D scan of your foot.
  • This device helps to correct the muscle and tendon imbalance that led to the hammertoe in the first place, providing long-term support and preventing the deformity from worsening.
• Surgical Correction: For rigid, painful hammertoes that don’t respond to conservative care, a simple outpatient surgical procedure is often the most effective solution.
  • The goal of the surgery is to release the tight tendon and restore the toe to its proper, straight position, providing a permanent fix for the pain.

You don’t have to live with the daily pain and frustration of a hammertoe. An early and accurate diagnosis is the key to finding a treatment plan that will work for you. For trusted podiatric experts, choose Foot & Ankle Center of Ohio! With advanced techniques, proven skills, and a stress-free environment, our team can resolve your foot and ankle problems and help you return to living your best life. Step past pain and schedule your appointment today.