Can Hammertoes Be Halted?

Your toes provide essential stability for your feet, helping you adjust as you move across uneven terrain. But if your toes have been getting pinched in your shoes for too long, you can develop lasting podiatry problems like hammertoes.

Hammertoes don’t tend to get better by themselves. The good news is that you may be able halt the progression of hammertoes with some common-sense changes and professional medical diagnosis and support.

Led by Stephen Eichelsdorfer, DPM, our care team at Town Center Foot & Ankle can help you reverse your hammertoes and restore strength and integrity to the structure of your feet. “Dr. Ike” helps new and existing patients at our Kingwood and Atascocita, Texas, offices.

Causes of hammertoes

The condition known as hammertoes actually has to do with weaknesses in your toe joints. In these connective tissues, ligaments, tendons, and muscles need to work together in correct alignment for full function.

Hammertoes are most commonly the result of wearing tight shoes that pinch the front of your feet, with high heels being a frequent culprit. 

You can also develop hammertoes as a result of injury or repeated trauma, like badly stubbing your toe a few times too often. Arthritis and diabetes can also sometimes result in hammertoes.

This deformity typically affects the middle joint of your toe and is most likely to affect your second toe. Full-blown hammertoes may become unbendable, fixed in a crooked position that’s shaped like the head of a hammer. 

Hammertoes might not be painful at first, but typically worsen over time and can eventually become uncomfortable and even debilitating.

What you can do to halt your hammertoes

You don’t have to live with uncomfortable hammertoes. In fact, you have a better chance of stopping the progression of this condition if you start addressing the problem promptly. 

Dr. Ike and our team at Town Center Foot & Ankle can diagnose your hammertoes and, depending on the progression, recommend the best treatment steps to get your feet back in top condition.

First, get rid of the constricting footwear that causes the problem. Once you’ve taken a break from tight shoes and high heels, here are some of the other treatment options that might help to heal and strengthen your feet and toes.

You could potentially benefit from:

• Physical therapy, available in-house at Town Center Foot & Ankle
• Taping or padding to support your toes
• Custom orthotics and inserts
• Minimally invasive surgery to release severe hammertoes

If you don’t act to restore movement to your toes, your condition may worsen, requiring more intensive treatments options. 

No matter how severe your hammertoes, Dr. Ike and our team at Town Center Foot & Ankle can help you stop the progression of your condition and rehabilitate your toes and feet. You can request your initial evaluation appointment online, or give us a call today.