Hammertoe Treatment
Hammertoe treatment
can vary depending on the severity
of your hammertoe. A hammertoe is a
contracture of the toe due to a
muscle imbalance between the tendons
on the top and the tendons on the
bottom of the toe.
Hammertoes can be
either flexible or rigid in nature.
With a rigid hammertoe it is not
possible to straighten the toe out
by manipulating it.
Rigid hammertoes
often develop corns on the top of
the toe as a result of rubbing on
the shoe. Flexible hammertoes are
considered less serious. This type
of hammertoe is still moveable at
the joint. Flexible hammertoes can
be diagnosed and treated while still
in the development stage. There are
three types of hammertoe treatments.
The first type of
hammertoe treatment is preventative.
This type of treatment is directed
toward the cause of the deformity. A
special insert called a functional
orthotic can be prescribed by your
doctor to correct the abnormal
functioning of the foot that causes
the hammertoe. Functional orthotics
slow down this gradual change in the
foot. When used for flexible
hammertoes the toes will straighten
out and correct themselves.
Stretching the calf can also help
overcome part of the muscle
imbalance that causes the hammertoe.
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Symptomatic
treatment of hammertoes is the
second type of treatment. This type
of treatment consists of such things
as open toed shoes or hammertoe
pads. Over the counter corn removers
can also help with relieving painful
calluses and corns seen with
hammertoes.
A third type of
hammertoe treatment is called
curative treatment. This type of
treatment varies depending upon the
severity of the deformity. For
flexible hammertoes a tendon release
procedure works well with little
recovery time. Often rigid
hammertoes require surgery. This
consists of removing the damaged
skin where the corn is present. Then
a small section of the bone is
removed at the level of the rigid
joint. With severe hammertoe
deformity a pin may be required to
hold the toe in place and fuse the
bones in the toe.
Selecting the
proper
hammertoe treatment
can depend on the severity of your
hammertoe. Whether you have a
flexible or rigid hammertoe also
plays an important role in which
treatment options are best for you.
See your doctor to discuss your
hammertoe treatment options.
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