Hammertoes are one of the most common foot conditions that many people experience. But most people ignore the common signs of hammertoe complications that need medical attention, which later impact their everyday life. Learn 5 common hammer toe complications you should not ignore and things you should and shouldn’t do when dealing with hammertoe in this article. Get a consultation with the best Podiatrists in Brooklyn.
5 Complications (associated with hammertoe)
These are the 5 most common complications linked with hammertoes:
- Toe and foot pain:
The bent, angled position of a hammertoe can cause significant pain, especially when you stand or walk, because all body weight falls on the foot, or when you wear tight shoes. The bent position increases toe pressure around the surrounding tissue and sensitive nerves, which means you will experience pain in other areas of the foot, too.
- Corns and calluses:
These foot problems develop when excessive friction against the skin occurs for longer periods of time. With hammertoes, the joint is bent, which typically rubs against footwear, causing painful corns and calluses.
- Problems walking:
Hammertoes will affect your walking in many ways, like when your toe is in a stiff, bent position, which causes a lot of toe pain whenever you take a step. Corn and calluses also cause pain. Besides that, the bent position of even one toe can affect your balance, making it difficult for your toes to grip when you take a step and push off. These issues can be enhanced if you’re wearing shoes that don’t fit properly.
- Back and knee pain:
This occurs when foot pain affects the way you walk, increasing strain and pressure on your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. Over time, this can lead to pain in any of these areas, limiting your range of movement and making other activities more difficult.
- Arthritis:
If you leave your hammer toe untreated, it can cause permanent joint damage to the toe, leading to arthritis, since toes have to bear your weight. As arthritis is a degenerative condition, it gets worse over time, and the risk of arthritis in the joints in your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back also increases.
Hammertoe progression and its effects
Most people with an early-stage hammertoe deformity only experience irritation, but they don’t understand that this condition is a progressive disease that gets worse over time. This progression can cause significant problems that get more serious in people with poor circulation or diabetes. Hammertoe progression occurs in 3 stages:
- Flexible hammertoe: In the early stages of hammertoe, the affected toe joint feels somewhat flexible and still able to move. The flexible hammertoe responds well to interventional treatment; however, the worst part about this phase makes the toe red, swollen, and painful (usually in the ball of the foot near the affected toe).
- Semi-rigid hammertoe: This is the moderate stage of deformity, which makes the affected toe joint more rigid. A semi-rigid hammertoe becomes less flexible and stiffer. At this stage, you have a difficult time finding comfortable shoes, painful corns (where shoes rub on the top of the toe joint), and calluses (where shoes rub on the toes that dig into the ground) are more likely.
- Rigid hammertoe: At the early or semi-rigid stage, without intervention, the hammertoe deformity may become fully rigid. At this stage, the tendons in the affected toe joint become so tight that the joint becomes completely fixed and immobile. Besides causing foot pain, this rigid hammertoe makes changes in your gait, limits your mobility, and makes it difficult to participate in usual physical activities.
Do’s & Don’ts of Living with Hammertoes: Tips for Daily Comfort and Mobility
There are several things you should do and shouldn’t do to manage your hammertoe.
Do’s
- Wear proper footwear: Choose shoes that offer arch support with a wide toe box, which gives enough space for toes to move freely.
- Wear pads and orthotics: Invest in custom orthotics or over-the-counter pads that offer additional relief and cushioning to the affected area.
- Stretch: Regular foot stretches are essential for maintaining proper toe flexibility and strength. To do that, one technique involves stretching each toe individually, gently pulling on each toe, holding the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds, and repeating the same with the other toes. Another technique involves using a towel to stretch all the toes simultaneously. Place a towel under your toes and gently pull towards you. For more stretching exercises, consult a medical professional to find appropriate exercises for your specific condition.
Don’ts
- Wear poorly fitting shoes: Don’t wear inappropriate or unsupportive shoes at any time of the day because they further damage your hammertoes. Avoid high heels or tight-fitting shoes as they produce friction that causes corn, which is painful and unsightly. High heels also shorten your Achilles tendon, forming hammertoes over time, and pointed toe boxes can irritate your toes.
- Wear shoes with stitching/seams at the toes: Those with hammertoe should avoid shoes with seams or stitching in the toe area because it causes irritation and leads to corns. These stitched areas are neither flexible nor accommodating to hammertoes or bunions.
- Assuming your shoe size: Most people believe their feet never change, but this is not true. Your feet change as you age, which requires properly fitting shoes for comfort and support. You should explore different brands of shoes, not only trusting the shoe size they mention (because it can vary among manufacturers), but it might not fit properly and make you feel uncomfortable.
Living with hammertoe can be difficult and lead to many complications. However, following the above-mentioned tips can ease your daily life mobility issues. Make sure that if you experience any complications or symptoms of hammertoe, consult a podiatrist for early treatment.
For hammertoes or any other foot issues, visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!! At Doral Health & Wellness, we have Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common. It’s not a good idea to put off seeing Foot Doctor Brooklyn until you are in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call + 1 718 367 2555 or send an email toinfo@doralhw.org.
