How to Treat Treat Hammertoes

Hammertoes are caused by structural abnormalities in the way you walk. The "hammered" toe becomes contracted and curly, resembling the shape of a hammer. The middle toe joint can remain flexible or become rigid. Either way, the hammertoe is usually painful.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Flat shoes with roomy toe boxes
• Corn pad removers
• Pedicures
• Hammertoe crests and splints

1. Throw away your high-heeled shoes. Hammertoe is much more common in women than in men, because of the style of ladies' footwear. Too much pressure is exerted to the tops of the toes, when a high heel is worn.
2. Buy shoes with a roomy toe box. If your toe box is adequately loose, you should be able to "play the piano" with your toes.
3. Wear corn pad removers or cushion pads on the top of the affected toe. Painful corns often develop on the tops of hammertoes from the continual rubbing of the toe against the shoe.
4. Have a professional pedicure. Sometimes a highly skilled manicurist can file down a painful corn, and lower the height of where your toe hits inside your shoe.
5. Use hammertoe crests and splints, gel toe shields and caps to hold the hammertoe down into the shoe and help relieve the pain to your forefoot.
6. Go barefoot as often as possible. This gives your foot plenty of wiggle room.
7. Consider surgery. Ask your podiatrist about "arthroplasty." (see related eHows)

Tips & Warnings

• Genetics plays a role in the development of hammertoes. If your parents or siblings have a history of hammertoe, be especially vigilant in wearing large and roomy footgear.