What is Hammer Toe?
Hammer toe or mallet toe is when the middle joint is bent on your second, third, or fourth toe, and your toe doesn’t naturally lie flat anymore. Hammer toe is caused by a muscle imbalance, usually due to wearing improper footwear, such as narrow or high heeled shoes, which put pressure on the toes and cause them to push against the shoe, although hammer toe can also be caused by injury or certain medical conditions.
Recovery
If hammer toe is just starting to develop, and you could still push your toe back down to the ground, this is known as flexible hammer toe, and you may be able to perform at-home treatments. To help reduce pain and and treat hammertoe, you can take the following steps:
Avoid Narrow and High Heeled Shoes
One of the best things you can do is buy a pair of shoes for hammer toe to help prevent further injury, and avoid wearing shoes that are narrow or high heeled. You may find that a pair of supportive sandals can also help reduce pain.
Use Corn or Felt Pads
Use corn pads or felt pads to protect the affected toe.
Cold Compress
Regularly ice your foot to help reduce inflammation.
Perform Exercises
Stretch you toe with your hand, and perform exercises such as picking up a towel with your toes.
Tape Your Toes
Try taping your toes to reduce the muscle imbalance.
In severe cases, if the affected toe is rigid, and you can’t stretch it with you hand, it’s likely that you may need surgery and should consult your doctor.
We’re Here to Help
The Walking Company offers a wide range of the best shoes for hammer toe. They included specially designed features such as:
- Roomy toe box to accomodate the toes and help reduce pressure on the foot
- Cushioned insole for shock absorption
- Stretchable uppers reduces friction and discomfort
For many people, getting the right shoes is the key to help alleviate pain and discomfort.
The Walking Company. The Authority on Comfort to help you Keep on Walking.