You would probably be surprised at how many people are suffering from a hammertoe. Hammertoes are particularly painful and are generally caused when your shoes do not fit properly. The toe starts looking like a claw as the tendons contract. In severe cases, your toes might even cross, as in one tries to fit under another. With a hammertoe you might find that a callus has formed under it and/or a corn has formed on top of the toe. If you are suffering from hammertoes in Hyde Park, you need to make an appointment with the podiatrist for treatment.
What Causes Hammertoes?
If you wear shoes that are too tight, too short, narrow, or pointed, and if you wear them consistently a hammertoe can form. They can also be caused by a bunion under your toes, which in effect pushes your toe, generally the big toe, over and under the second toe of your foot. Other causes include birth defects, arthritis, injury, and even a muscle imbalance.
Prevention and Treatment
To prevent hammertoes, you should always wear shoes that fit correctly. Another way of preventing hammertoes is to wear different shoes daily. If you do not do all you can by way of preventing this from happening to you, surgical intervention will be necessary. The perfect shoes to wear for prevention will be soft and have rounded toes.
Correcting Hammertoes
Unfortunately, the only way to correct hammertoes is surgery. There are several ways to temporarily decrease your discomfort by using corn/callus remedies, by placing padding inside your shoes, and by wearing shoes that have a deep toe base. Hammertoes surgeries are almost always done on an outpatient basis and take an hour or less. Dr. Mitchell at Mitchell Foot & Ankle is extremely skilled at repairing hammertoes in his on-site surgical facility.
