What Are Hammertoes?
You may have a hammertoe if your toe bends at a right angle. Your East Boston and Haverhill, MA podiatrists, Drs. David Greenblott and Debra Eisner of Merrimack Valley Foot Specialists, offer treatments that will help you straighten your toe.
Hammertoe symptoms
It’s not difficult to figure out how this foot condition got its name. If you look at a hammertoe sideways, the bent portion makes the toe look like a hammer.
At first, you may be able to straighten the toe by pushing on it. If you don’t receive treatment for the condition, the toe will eventually become stuck in the bent position. Hammertoes tend to affect the second through the fifth toes and may be more likely to occur if:
- You injured your foot.
- You have a muscle imbalance in your foot or arthritis.
- Other members of your family have had hammertoes.
- You have high arches.
Do you wear tight shoes frequently? Over time, the shoes can exert enough pressure to bend your toe into the hammer shape. Wearing tight shoes could also cause the tendons in your toe to shorten, which will keep the toe bent.
What can you do about a hammertoe?
Changing the type of shoes you wear will improve your comfort and decrease pressure on your toe. Shoes with more room than normal in the toe area, open-toed shoes, or sandals are more comfortable choices.
Toe exercises offer a simple way to prevent your toe from becoming rigid. Exercises don’t take long and won’t require any special equipment. Exercise your toe by picking up marbles or small objects with your feet or scrunching up a towel with your toes.
If exercises don’t help or your toe is painful or has become rigid, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your East Boston or Haverhill foot doctor. Your podiatrist may recommend one or more of these treatment options:
- Over-the-counter or prescription pain medication
- Corticosteroid injections to ease pain and inflammation
- Taping your toe to improve alignment
- Wearing orthotics, prescription shoe inserts that help keep your toe properly aligned
- Surgery to straighten a rigid toe
Ease your hammertoe symptoms with a visit to your podiatrists in East Boston and Haverhill, MA, Dr. David Greenblott, and Dr. Debra Eisner of Merrimack Valley Foot Specialists. Call the Haverhill office at (978) 556-9700 or the East Boston office at (617) 567-2111 to schedule your appointment.
