/assets/images/provider/photos/2787322.jpeg)
In an ideal world, your toes extend straight out. This puts them in the ideal position to do their job: keeping you balanced and helping you propel yourself forward. Shoes are also designed for toes that lie flat.
That makes hammertoe doubly problematic. Not only does the bent joint of your toe compromise its function, but it also might rub in your shoes. Together, those combined problems make this condition uncomfortable.
Fortunately, here at Greater Pittsburgh Foot & Ankle Center in Wexford, Pennsylvania, William T. DeCarbo, DPM, FACFAS, specializes in treating hammertoe. He works with you to find the right treatment plan to straighten your toe and alleviate any resulting discomfort.
That’s generally easier the sooner you get treatment. To help you understand why that’s true, let’s look at the difference between flexible and rigid hammertoe.
Flexible hammertoe
In its early stages, hammertoe usually presents as this type. Flexible hammertoe means you can still move the toe joint that’s bent.
Fortunately, you’re still in a good position to resolve the problem with conservative treatment.
Treatment
In most cases, you don’t need surgery to resolve the flexible hammertoe. Dr. DeCarbo creates a treatment plan to encourage your toe to realign itself. That might include:
- Different footwear with a wider, longer toe box
- Custom orthotics
- Toe pads
- Strapping or taping the toe
- Stretches and strengthening exercises
Many cases of flexible hammertoe respond well to nonsurgical treatment.
Rigid hammertoe
If the hammertoe advances to the stage where the toe is rigid and you can no longer bend that joint, you’ll generally need more involved treatment to correct the problem.
Treatment
Dr. DeCarbo offers surgery for rigid hammertoe. During this procedure, he releases the soft tissue at the base of the affected toe. By treating that tight tissue, he creates a way for the toe to lie flat again.
Finding the right treatment for your hammertoe
Here at Greater Pittsburgh Foot & Ankle Center, Dr. DeCarbo evaluates your toe. He’ll ask you to try to bend or straighten it. He also asks about any symptoms you’ve been experiencing.
While hammertoe can often be diagnosed with a physical examination of the toe, Dr. DeCarbo may order an X-ray to confirm what’s going on with the joints in your toe.
Once he diagnoses the hammertoe and knows which type is affecting you, he creates a treatment plan. That usually means starting with conservative treatment to see if your toe will respond (although if the joint is already rigid, Dr. DeCarbo may go straight to a surgical approach).
Dr. DeCarbo and our team continue working with you until we have corrected the alignment of your toe. Once treatment is complete, you should be able to walk normally and have no trouble with shoes.
That said, we recommend that you always choose flat shoes with a roomy toe box. This provides ample space for your toes to maintain proper alignment, preventing the hammertoe from recurring.
To get the care you need for flexible or rigid hammertoe, call our office or book your appointment online today.