What Is a Hammer Toe??
A hammer toe is a deformity that usually affects the second, third or fourth toes. In this condition, the middle joint bends downward, giving the toe a hammer-like appearance.
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What Causes Hammer Toes?
Normally, muscles work in pairs to straighten and bend your toes. When the toe remains bent for a prolonged period, the muscles and joints tighten, making it difficult to straighten. Hammer toe occurs when muscles, tendons and ligaments in the toe become imbalanced.
Improperly fitting footwear is the most common culprit. Shoes that are tight, narrow or high-heeled push the toes into a bent position. Over time, corns or calluses may form on the top of the bent joint, further aggravating the condition. Weakness in the small muscles of the foot can also contribute to this condition.
Hammer Toe Symptoms
A hammer toe can be painful and may cause:
- Pain when wearing shoes
- Swelling or redness around the affected joint
- Inability to straighten the toe
- Difficulty walking
- Corns or calluses on the middle joint or tip of the toe
If left untreated for too long, the toe joint may become completely immovable and rigid.
How Is Hammer Toe Treated?
For flexible hammer toes in the early stages, simple, nonsurgical measures are often effective:
- Footwear adjustments: Avoid tight, narrow and high-heeled shoes and choose shoes with a roomy toe box, at least half an inch longer than your longest toe.
- Exercises: Stretch and strength foot muscles with manual toe stretches.
- Straps, cushions or nonmedicated corn pads for pain relief.
- Hammertoe Surgery
- Hammertoe surgery corrects a contracted toe by releasing tight tendons and ligaments, transferring tendons, or removing small bone sections or fusing joints. Hardware such as pins or screws are often used to hold alignment during the healing process.
- Procedures are nearly always performed on an outpatient (no overnight stay) basis
- In most cases, recovery involves wearing a surgical shoe or boot (CAM walker) for several weeks
Treat Hammer Toe at OrthoNebraska
Looking for hammer toe relief in the Omaha area? At OrthoNebraska, we want to make sure that our patients feel understood, safe and confident to take on an appropriate treatment plan. With proper management, we can help you reduce pain levels and improve quality of life.
