Hammertoe Treatment in Los Angeles

The condition can be extremely painful but there are many treatments available to ease the pain. A hammertoe is a toe that has an abnormal bend in its middle joint, making the toe bend downward to look like a hammer. This painful condition forms due to an imbalance in the surrounding muscles, tendons, or ligaments that normally keep the toe straight. Hammertoes are flexible, to begin with. If hammertoe is not treated promptly, they may become fixed and require surgery to correct them. Dr. Hassid is a foot surgeon who specializes in hammertoe treatment in Los Angeles. We provide our patients with the latest techniques in hammertoe treatment and advancements in hammertoe surgery.

Preventative treatment of hammertoe is directed toward the cause of the deformity. A functional orthotic is a special insert that can be prescribed by your podiatrist to address the abnormal functioning of the foot that causes the hammertoe. Functional orthotics can be thought of as contact lenses for your feet. They correct a number of foot problems that are caused by an abnormally functioning foot. Our feet, much like our eyes, change with time. Functional orthotics slow down or halt this gradual change in the foot. Often when orthotics are used for flexible hammertoes, the toes will overtime straighten out and correct themselves. Calf stretching exercises are also helpful. Calf stretching can help to overcome part of the muscle imbalance that causes the hammertoe.

Symptomatic treatment of hammertoes consists of such things as open-toed shoes or hammertoe pads. There are over the counter corn removers for temporally reducing the painful callus often seen with the hammertoe. These medications must be used with caution. They contain a mild acid that burns the callous off. These medications should never be used for corns or calluses between the toes. Persons with diabetes or bad circulation should never use these products.

Curative treatment of hammertoes varies depending upon the severity of the deformity. When the hammertoe is flexible, a simple tendon release in the toe works well. The recovery is rapid often requiring nothing more than a single stitch and a Band-Aid. Of course, if several toes are done at the same time, the recovery makes it take a bit longer. For the surgical correction of a rigid hammertoe, the surgical procedure consists of removing the damaged skin where the corn is located. Then a small section of bone is removed at the level of the rigid joint.