A hammer toe is also called a rotated toe or contracted toe. You will not be able to lay your toe flat due to this problem. Besides, this problem is more common in women when compared to men. It generally affects the second toe mostly. However, it may affect your third and fourth toes sometimes. As people with this condition will not be able to walk comfortably, they need to visit a foot specialist immediately. Hammer toes generally occur due to an imbalance in your toe’s ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
Just like the other toe problems, hammer toes can be caused due to several other factors, but one of the main contributors is wearing shoes that don’t fit properly.
Following are some aspects of footwear that can increase the risk of getting hammer toes:
- High Heels
- Tight Shoe
The other factors which can be responsible for this condition are diabetes, heredity, injury, age, and arthritis.
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of this problem are
- Severe foot pain.
- Redness and swelling in the affected area.
- Toe pain when walking and when wearing or removing shoes.
As there are so many podiatrists everywhere now, choose the best from them for your treatment. Remember, not taking the treatment at the right time can worsen your problem. For hammer toes, you must always choose a podiatrist like Dr.Sima Soltani. Dr. Sima Soltani has good experience in treating foot problems such as hammer toe, foot infections, plantar fasciitis, etc., and taking her appointment is very easy now. You can simply take her appointment online or by making a call to her office.
If your condition is not severe, your podiatrist may simply recommend you the following.
- Loose socks
- Custom Orthotics
Some podiatrists might ask you to take the help of a physical therapist to improve the condition of your toe. Toe rolls and stretching can also help people with this condition. Your podiatrist might recommend surgery if your problem is severe. This surgery might include joint replacement, tendon transfer, and arthrodesis, depending on your condition. Most of the time, this problem goes away without any complications, but taking the treatment at the right time is important. Avoid wearing high heels, pointed heels, and tight shoes to prevent this condition.
How to find a good podiatrist in your location?
Some of the important factors which you must consider when choosing a podiatrist are experience, education details, and patient reviews. All you need to do for finding this information is, to visit their official website. There are some websites where you can find the details of reputed podiatrists in your location. Take the help of such websites to make your job easy.
Who must avoid hammer toe surgery?
People with certain health problems must avoid this surgery. Make sure that you discuss your health problems to understand whether you are the right candidate for the surgery or not. People with the active infection must also avoid this surgery. However, you can go with the surgery if your condition improves in future.
Contact a podiatrist immediately to get rid of severe hammer toe pain!