Hammertoes 

 

Hammertoes are a problem for many people. More commonly affecting females & those over sixty, they not only make it difficult to wear shoes comfortably but can lead to a range of other problems including arthritis.

 

In general, the term "hammer-toe" describes a buckling of any of the toe joints. Joints at the end or middle of the toe as well as the joint near the ball of the foot may be affected. Toe joints usually curl because of a muscle imbalance, or tight tendons. Hammertoes vary in severity and in the number of joints involved.

 
Although they look painful, a hammer toe may not hurt. Often it makes purchasing footwear difficult. Long term problems may include the formation of a corn on the top of the toe & arthritis within the joint. A hammertoe may also put extra stress on the ball of the foot, causing a callus (a corn on the bottom of the foot).  

 

 

SELF TREATMENT

wear good, supportive footwear as much as possible. Make sure it has adequate depth & width across the front of the shoe

limit the wearing of high-heels to a minimum

use of padding materials to reduce the pressure over the top of the hammertoe

PODIATRIC TREATMENT

treatment will depend on the degree of hammering of the toe, how much pain it causes you & what is the underlying cause of the problem

removal of any thickening of the skin (callus) maybe required. This is not painful!

different types of paddings can be utilised to reduce pressure over the top of the hammertoe

footwear advice

a biomechanical assessment & gait analysis may be needed if flat-feet or high-arched feet are evident. This may eventually lead to the wearing of a support or orthosis in your shoe

the last resort is surgery. This aims to reduce the hammertoe to a normal position & remove the cause of their development. This generally is used for significant deformity or pain or, difficulties with fitting footwear

For further information concerning 'Hammertoes'. Click HERE  

 

 

Footmed  can provide relief of painful hammertoes from simple options, through to more involved forms treatment. Depending on the problem, we treat the cause to keep you active & pain free.

 

 

Private health insurance generally covers a percentage of the cost of Podiatric consultations. Podiatric consultations are also covered under Workcover, 3rd Party Insurance & Veterans Affairs.  

 

[THIS INFORMATION IS OF A GENERAL NATURE & SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A DIAGNOSIS. SEEK ADVICE FROM A PODIATRIST FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE]