Hammer toes are commonly treated by podiatry practitioners since they can be a reason for pain in the foot. A hammer toe is a term that may be widely used to describe any sort of toe disability, however a hammer toe is really a specific deformity of a toe. The hammer toe deformity ordinarily only affects just in one toe at what is known as the proximal interphalangeal joint. This is actually the joint at the base of the toe and it points upwards and also the end of the toe points downwards.
The main sign of the hammer toe will likely be when something such as a corn builds up on top of the toe from the shoe pressure and becomes painful. This often occurs when you are wearing restricted shoes that places pressure at the top as well as end of the toe. There could be a bursa that builds up underneath the corn or instead of the corn. Almost all of the symptoms that develop are due to pressure from footwear on the toe. There could also be a callus that develops beneath the metatarsal head near the base of the toe on the ball of the foot. At first, a hammer toe is usually flexible, however, if its been there for a long time it may be more inflexible.
Hammer toes develop from a number of things. In many instances many people are just biomechanically susceptible to develop hammer toes implying an inherited element. Restricted footwear is a key factor in the reason behind hammer toes. The tight footwear in addition provides the pressure which causes the signs and symptoms. It is also believed that weaker small muscles in the foot might also play a role in hammer toe development.
Hammer toes prevention can be difficult as signs and symptoms don't usually start before the concern is well established, so it's well on the way at that stage. The wearing of shoes with additional room in the toes will help the pain from the hammer toes or at least lessen the pace of its development.
There are lots of strategies that podiatrists will take to deal with a hammer toe. The very first method which may be crucial that you adhere to is advice concerning suitable shoes. There must be the right amount of room in the toe box of the shoes that will permit space for the toes to function with out excessive pressure on them. When a corn occurs on the toe then this will need to be dealt with. In the early stages when the toe remains flexible, it might be possible to use splints or tape to try and retain the toe at a fixed position. Until the shoes are correctly fitted then that is often unsuccessful. Podiatrists often use felt padding to get pressure off of the toe that will help the pain. If these kinds of conservative methods are unsuccessful at improving the pain, then surgery is frequently a good alternative. Surgical treatment to take care of a hammer toe may be performed as a day treatment if needed. There are many various kinds of surgeries which can be used depending on the foot alignment and if the hammer toe is flexible or stiff. When you have a hammer toe which is leading to symptoms, it may be worth going to see a podiatrist.
