Your feet do a lot of work every day, carrying you from place to place! Your body weight exerts a lot of strain on the bones and tendons of your legs when you move, so that may be a cause of foot issues. If your shoes don’t fit properly, issues like hammerheads and claw toes may develop. Our Greater Washington Advance podiatry in MD, explain more here.
HAMMERTOES VS. CLAW TOES
Both the hammertoes and the claw toes trigger irritation and pain in the feet. In general, these conditions do not affect the large toe, only the smaller toes. Untreated, the issue is getting worse, which may contribute to calluses that corn in the parts of the foot that have traction within the shoe. The resulting deformities, however, are different:
The Hammertoes curve at the middle joint, forcing the toe down. They may be followed by plates.
Claw toes usually affect multiple toes at once, curving around the joint where the toes meet the foot. The claw toes are pointed back at the first joint, then flat at the middle joint.
Both hammers and claws may inflict discomfort, burns, calluses, and even gait problems. Over time, it may become difficult to find shoes that fit properly.
CAUSES
Hammertoes and claw toes are typically the product of wearing shoes that are too wide, too large, or too big. They can also result from high heels being worn, as the toes are pushed forward into an uncomfortable bent position that can damage the toe joints. Over time, the tendons are shortened, making it impossible for the toe muscles to straighten when the shoes are removed.
TREATMENTS
After our podiatrist has identified the disease, we will prescribe the right care for you. It usually starts by changing the socks, keeping cushions over the feet, and taking control of calluses or grass. If conservative treatments do not solve the problem, surgery to reposition the joint and straighten the toe may be recommended.