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Your Handy Guide for Hammertoe Fixes

Fixer Upper is a popular show about buying an inexpensive house that needs work, then putting your leftover money toward “fixing it up.” The big reveal of the finished product is always amazing. However, what if the thing that needs fixing is a hammertoe, not a house? What tools can you use to treat hammertoes so they’re straightened out as good as new? Here’s a handy guide for hammertoe fixes you’re sure to find helpful (and maybe even amazing).

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  What’s Going On with my Toe?

Hammertoe is a condition affecting the foot in which an abnormal bend develops in the middle joint of a toe. Hammertoes are complex toe deformities that can be the result of overpowering muscle forces, foot alignment, aging, genetics, or previous trauma.

 Can I Straighten a Hammertoe Without Surgery?

You see, the answer to the question asked by the title of this blog is, unfortunately, a very strong no.

 Do I Have to Have Hammertoe Surgery?

The good news is that surgical procedures for hammertoes are done on an outpatient basis and are typically not very complicated, so it doesn’t take long and you’re home the same day! Recovery is fairly quick as well, usually lasting just a few weeks. The type of hammertoe surgery you’ll need depends on the severity of your condition.

Articles of Interest

All About Hammertoes!

Hammertoes are an inherited condition that causes the second toe to bend inwards towards the first toe. Women are especially likely to develop hammertoes due to narrow shoes and high-heeled footwear. Hammertoes cause extreme foot pain and discomfort, even though they are considered a cosmetic issue — since they can be prevented through wearing comfortable shoes and exercising.

Exercises to Improve Hammertoes

Exercises are necessary for hammertoes because the condition, which starts as minor deformities, can worsen progressively over time. Initially, hammertoes are flexible and patients can manage the symptoms with noninvasive treatment. If neglected, hammertoes can become stiffer and treatment may require a surgical procedure.

Hammertoe Fixation And Cost-Effectiveness: What Are The Best Options?

Symptomatic hammertoes remain among the most common ailments that foot and ankle surgeons treat. While there have been advances in our understanding of digital deformities and the importance of adjunctive soft tissue procedures, end-to-end arthrodesis remains the most common surgical treatment for repair of rigid hammertoes. Hammertoe fixation can come in many forms.

Helping Hammer Toes

For those who may be unfamiliar with this condition, hammer toe is a deformity causing the toe to bend downward instead of pointing forward. While any of the toes can be affected, it’s primarily seen on the second or third toe. While this deformity can be present in some individuals from birth, it is a condition that typically develops over time.

How to Prevent & Treat Hammer Toe

The joint that’s affected in hammer toe is the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ). This is the middle joint between the proximal phalanx and the distal phalanx. The main symptom of hammer toe is that the middle joint is flexed (bent) upwards. When the top part of your toe is continually forced in a downward position, it becomes more difficult to move the toe.

One cause of hammertoes

When the foot is cavus it puts an increased stretch on the long flexor muscles of the foot because the metatarsalphalangeal joint is in relative extension.

What Can You Do About a Hammertoe?

Once you have a hammertoe, the bad news is it doesn’t just go away.

What You Can Do About Hammertoes

When most people think about foot deformities they most often think about bunions; however, hammertoes are just as common. This unassuming deformity comes about gradually, so you may not even notice it until it’s too late. “What is a hammertoe?” You might be wondering. A hammertoe affects the middle joint of a toe (often the smaller toes), causing the toe to bend downward. In severe cases, a hammertoe will look almost claw-like.

Which ‘HT’ to Treat: Hypertension or Hammertoe?

There was low comedy: A doctor used “HT” to mean “hypertension,” but the computer understood “hammertoe.” Confusion ensued.

Why I Decided to Have Mallet Toe Surgery

Hammer, claw and mallet toe all refer to foot deformities caused by imbalances in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. While each of these affects slightly different areas of the foot, their causal factors and the problems they create, such as bunions, blisters, calluses and pain, are quite similar, as are the treatment options for straightening and improving the alignment of a toe that is bent.

Resources

Harvard Health

The smallest four toes of each foot have three bony segments connected by two joints, just as the fingers do. Hammertoe is a deformity in which one or more of the small toes develops a bend at the joint between the first and second segments so that the tip of the toe turns downward, making it looks like a hammer or claw. The second toe is affected most often.

StatPearls

Hammertoes are among the most common deformities of the forefoot. It results from an imbalance between the weak intrinsic muscles and the stronger extrinsic muscles surrounding the metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJ) of the lesser digits.