There are a variety of foot conditions that you may deal with in your life and a fairly common issue is known as hammertoes. With this deformity, you may notice that your second, third, or fourth toe is bent at the middle joint, which causes it to resemble a hammer. It’s important to seek treatment for hammertoes to reduce pain and ensure flexibility. Your podiatrists at Podiatry Associates of Indiana in Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, Plainfield, and Indianapolis, IN, can help you identify if you’re dealing with hammertoes and how they can be treated.

Dealing with Hammertoes

When you’re dealing with hammertoes, it’s important to talk to your podiatrists in Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, Plainfield, and Indianapolis, IN, for diagnosis as soon as possible to avoid any further complications from developing. When left untreated, hammertoes can cause severe pain and can become inflexible. You may also notice that corns and calluses develop on top of the middle joint or on the tip of your toe because of friction.

It's important that if you’re dealing with hammertoes, you wear shoes that properly fit and have room in the toes. You should also be performing exercises daily to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the toe. To help relieve irritation from friction, you can also wear pads or cushions in your shoes to stop the rubbing. You can also take over-the-counter medication to help relieve pain that you might experience from the joint becoming inflexible.

In severe cases, your podiatrist may recommend surgery to correct the deformity and straighten out your toe.

Contact Your Podiatrist Today

Don’t let hammertoes go untreated and unnoticed. Contact your podiatrists at Podiatry Associates of Indiana in Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, Plainfield, and Indianapolis, IN, to learn more about hammertoes and find out if you’re dealing with one. Call for more information and to schedule an appointment today at (866) 344-FEET.