What We Want You to Know About Hammertoes

Take a look at your feet for a second and appreciate how much these appendages accomplish, especially given their relatively small size. The weight of your entire body falls on your feet, as does the enormous task of moving you through the world.

So, you're understandably concerned when an obvious foot issue like a hammertoe develops. Well, you and the millions of other Americans who have hammertoes — this foot condition is one of the most common problems of the forefoot.

As podiatry experts, Dr. Matthew W. Cerniglia and the team here at Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas are well-versed in hammertoes, and we want to share a little about what we know about this frequent foot problem.

Feet rely on balance

Slightly more than one-quarter of the total bones in your body are found in your feet — there are 26 bones in each. A network of muscles, ligaments, and tendons connects these bones.

Given the complexity of the anatomy of your feet and the job they need to do, it makes sense that your feet function best when all of these small parts are well-aligned and balanced.

With hammertoes, there’s an imbalance in the muscles that operate your toes. Specifically, your toes rely on small opposing muscles to bend and straighten the digit. When these muscles are imbalanced, the toe's muscles, tendons, and joints tighten. 

As a result, the middle joint contracts and draws the joint in your toe up, creating that hammer-like appearance. This problem typically occurs in your second, third, or fourth toes.

Common causes of hammertoes

When it comes to what causes the misalignment in your feet that leads to hammertoes, there are several common culprits, including:

• Footwear that crowds your toes
• Heredity
• Co-occurring foot issues like bunions and high arches
• Arthritis
• Trauma
• Aging

Women are more likely to develop hammertoes, and the reason for that includes footwear (think high heels with pointy toes) and weaker ligaments in the feet.

Hammertoes are progressive

Another critical point we want to make about hammertoes is that they don’t happen overnight.

At first, a hammertoe can be flexible, which means it flattens out when you put your feet on the ground. You can also manually stretch your toe to a straight position.

However, hammertoes can become increasingly rigid over time, eventually causing the toe not to straighten.

There are treatments for hammertoes

Since hammertoes are progressive, coming to see us at the first signs of the issue is important. In the early stages, we can take steps like swapping out your footwear and providing you with orthotics and exercises to help rebalance your feet.

If the hammertoe is relatively advanced and rigid, we offer surgical correction. This is a good route if your hammertoes are causing discomfort and/or aesthetics problems.

The best way to determine your next steps in dealing with your hammertoe(s) is to sit down with Dr. Cerniglia for a complete evaluation.

To get started, please request an appointment online or over the phone at our Fort Worth, Texas, office today.