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.

 

Cause :

The cause of hammertoes is actually quiet complex. While shoes are a factor in the development of hammertoes, they are not the underlying cause. Potential underlying causes include flat-feet & high-arched feet as well as various neurological disorders. 

 

Your little toes help to balance and propel your body when you move. As your foot flattens, the little toes bend to grip the ground. Then they straighten, acting like levers to push your foot so you can walk, run or dance. But if the front of your foot is wide, you may develop a problem known as a hammertoe.  

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Hammertoes may be flexible or rigid, depending on the joint's ability to move. A flexible joint may become more rigid as you age. You can straighten a flexible hammer toe with your fingers. Although they look painful, a flexible hammer toe may not hurt. A rigid hammer toe cannot be moved. Rigid joints may cause pain and distort foot movement. This may put extra stress on the ball of the foot,                                                  causing a callus (a corn on the bottom of the foot).  

 

 

Symptoms:

                                                                                                                                     

The obvious symptom of hammertoes is the position of the toe(s). This varies greatly & can be simply the toe being slightly raised right through to the toe being significantly raised as well as underlapping or overlapping adjacent toes. The toe can also be twisted. The toe frequently becomes reddened & irritated on the top from shoe pressure forming a callus or corn. There may also be the formation of a callus or corn under the ball of the foot (see picture below). There may also be a deeper type of burning pain in either the toe itself or in the ball of the foot. This is frequently due to arthritis. Being a fairly complex problem, hammertoes can create as much trouble on the inside as they do on the outside.

 

As pressure is increased on the top of the toe from the shoe & from underneath the ball of the foot, wearing of the joint can gradually occur which leads to arthritis.

 

 

Prevention :

Prevention of hammertoes can be difficult due to there being several factors potentially involved in their development. This includes genetics (if your parents or grandparents had hammertoes, you are more likely to develop them), flat-feet (hammertoes can develop due to instability in the feet from flat-feet), high-arched feet (similar to flat-feet) & to a lesser extent, poor footwear such as high heels & narrow, tapered footwear.

To reduce the likelihood of their development, wear good, supportive footwear as often as possible. Limit the use of high heels to a minimum. If there is a strong family history of hammertoes, have a full assessment of your feet & walking pattern by a Podiatrist. If flat-feet or high-arched feet evident, you may benefit in the long-term through the use of a support or orthosis worn in your shoes.

 

Treatment :

Footwear that fits comfortably is the simplest thing you can do to provide relief of a painful hammertoe. It is important however to see a Podiatrist not only if the toe is painful but also to identify the cause of the hammertoe & reduce, if possible, the likelihood of it worsening.

SELF TREATMENT

wear good, supportive footwear that fits the shape of your foot as best as possible

limit the wearing of high-heels to a minimum

use of padding 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

 

 

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]