Health

What are the symptoms of a hammertoe?

A hammer or hammertoe is a medical condition that bends one or both toe joints. Hammertoe is a condition that is often associated with the imbalance of tendons, ligaments, or muscles responsible for keeping your toes straight. Hammertoes will make your toes become stiff and rigid or in a curly position. 

Bakersfield hammertoe is a serious cosmetic issue as it can cause imbalances in muscles and excess stress on your feet and toes. Hammertoe can affect your normal movement and affect your walking abilities, creating a negative impact on your life. Learn more about the symptoms of hammertoe to evaluate your condition better. 

  • Curled Toes: Hammertoe will cause physical deformity in your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th toes. This condition will bend, contract, and damage your toes, making your toes curl at the tip. If not treated, a hammertoe will damage your ability at straightening the affected toes. As hammertoe is a progressive medical condition, it will start with mild deformity, gradually continuing to extreme deformity. With proper treatment, you can correct this deformity and develop a more natural foot appearance. You can also save yourself from the embarrassment of wearing one open-toe shoewear. 
  • Changes in Shoe Fitting: As you age, your feet will grow and the tendons and ligaments in your feet will lose elasticity. However, if you’re noticing sudden tightness while wearing shoes, especially on the tip of the shoe, it might be an indication that you’ve developed a hammertoe. Hammertoe can cause mild and severe pain in your tendons and toes, especially when the affected toe rub against the tip of the shoe. Shoes featuring narrower toe boxes will become extremely difficult to wear when you have a hammertoe. 
  • Foot pain and Soreness: Pain is one of the most common hammertoe symptoms. Toes in natural alignment create proper balance for walking, standing, or running. A hammertoe will affect the overall distribution of your body, causing your foot to withstand unnatural and severe pressure. As you will feel chronic tightness, the muscles can cause more soreness to develop over time. Improper foot support can also affect other body parts such as ankles, knees, and back. These areas will be forced to make improper adjustments to address the unnatural support of your leg. 

A hammertoe can be treated without any problem during the early stages of symptoms. When you contact specialists, they will use conservating treatments to address the symptoms of a hammertoe. However, advanced symptoms of a hammertoe will require a surgical process.

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Chiara Brunner