Hammertoe is a structural foot deformity that causes a claw-like bend in the middle toe joint, preventing the affected digit from lying flat and straight. As one of the most common forefoot problems, experts estimate that hammertoe deformities represent about 20% of all foot issues treated by podiatrists and orthopedists.
If you’re living with a hammertoe deformity, you know just how uncomfortable and limiting it can be. Luckily, it’s also highly treatable — especially in its early, more “flexible” stages.
At Sports Medicine Oregon in Tigard and Wilsonville, Oregon, our board-certified orthopedists know that, in most cases, conservative solutions can deliver long-lasting relief as they work to slow, halt, or even reverse hammertoe deformity progression.
Read on as we discuss the ins and outs of hammertoe deformities, including how custom orthotics can support a comprehensive treatment plan.
A hammertoe deformity is a stiff bend in the middle toe joint that keeps the affected digit perpetually “clawed,” as if it’s stuck in the shape of an inverted V. It almost always occurs in one or more of the lesser toes, and rarely affects the big toe.
Most hammertoe deformities are caused by an imbalance in the muscles that keep the toe straight and flat. This imbalance places increased pressure on the toe’s tendons and joints, causing a contracture.
Typically, this muscle imbalance and resulting joint contracture are a result of mechanical (structural) changes that occur when something, like narrow or tight-fitting footwear, puts ongoing pressure on your toes. Other conditions that can “set the stage” for a hammertoe deformity include high arches, flat feet, bunions, and arthritis.
Besides its obvious abnormal appearance, a hammertoe deformity is associated with pain or irritation when wearing shoes, usually at the top of the affected toe or the ball of the foot.
Your toe may be hard to move, and you may also experience inflammation, redness, and a burning sensation in the affected toe that makes walking or standing less comfortable.
When a toe can’t lie flat and straight, footwear creates new contact points and points of pressure that can lead to further problems, like painful corns and calluses. But that’s not all; hammertoe is a progressive deformity that worsens over time without intervention:
Flexible hammertoe is highly responsive to conservative treatment, while rigid hammertoe requires surgery. Hammertoe deformities never get better without intervention.
Orthotics are custom shoe inserts that can treat various gait problems and foot conditions, including hammertoe. Made exactly for your feet, these prescription devices are designed to support your toes and keep them properly aligned.
Orthotics provide hammertoe relief through:
First and foremost, custom orthotics serve as an effective form of early intervention care when flexible hammertoe symptoms first start to emerge.
At this stage, wearing orthotics and taking other helpful measures, like changing your footwear, are often enough to correct the deformity and restore normal toe muscle balance and joint alignment.
Custom orthotic inserts are designed to redistribute your weight more evenly across the bones and joints of your feet, virtually eliminating singular “pressure points.” By removing excess strain and pressure from your toes, orthotics help ease the inflammation and pain that often comes with a hammertoe deformity.
Custom orthotics that are designed to treat hammertoe help balance your toe muscles, gently stretch your tendons, and reposition and realign your problematic toe joint, so it lies flat. We may also recommend wearing spacers on either side of the affected toe to assist the orthotic realignment process.
Orthotics are firm and supportive, but they’re also well-cushioned in just the right places for your specific needs. To ease the discomfort of a hammertoe deformity and help you stay more active, orthotic inserts provide extra cushioning beneath the ball of your foot and your toes.
Custom orthotics can go a long way in correcting flexible hammertoe — and easing a more advanced form of the condition. Still, they’re just one part of a comprehensive care plan that typically includes:
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a hammertoe deformity, now’s the time to address the problem — and Sports Medicine Oregon is here to help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest location in Tigard or Wilsonville, Oregon, today.
