Hammer toes

Have you noticed your toes are getting less and less straight with time?

Do you often get corns, pain or irritation of your toe joints when in footwear?

You could have claw or hammer toe deformities.

These are caused by a complex interaction of your foot type and function. Our feet have a complex network of muscles and tendons that make it move, just like a puppet has strings. If an imbalance of the action of some of these muscles and tendons which attach in the toes occurs, then they can become buckled and deformed. Over time, if this poor position is maintained, the joints in the toe can become arthritic and can be set in that position, causing many problems, especially with footwear and irritation.

Treatment for these claw and hammer toes can include non-surgical techniques such as addressing the corns and protecting them with various paddings and strappings to footwear advice and orthotics. Surgical correction represents a very successful approach to this common problem.

For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Lesser Toe Deformities.

Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.

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