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Hammertoes Specialist

Podiatrists & Foot and Ankle Surgeons located in Westminster, CO

Hammertoes services offered in Westminster, CO

Hammertoes are a type of muscle imbalance in the foot that causes your toes to chronically bend at their joints. At Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic in Westminster, Colorado, Katherine Parodi, DPM, and Jacob Stuart, DPM, provide exceptional podiatric care for hammertoes, which you can often manage without surgery. Schedule your podiatric evaluation over the phone or online at Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic today.

What are hammertoes?

Hammertoes are a prevalent condition that occurs when any of your toes are permanently flexed or bent at their joints. This happens when the muscles that support your feet and toes get weaker, and the tendons that normally allow you to straighten your toes pull them abnormally. 

There are three types of hammertoes that the Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic treats:

Flexible hammertoes

You can still move the joints of flexible hammertoes at will. These are still developing and are the easiest variety to treat. 

Semi-rigid hammertoes

Semi-rigid hammertoes are hammertoes that are starting to get stiffer, which makes it harder to move them consciously. 

Rigid hammertoes

Rigid hammertoes are stuck in the bent position with tight tendons. These are the most challenging to treat of the three types. 

What causes hammertoes?

Hammertoes take time to develop, starting out in the mild flexible stage and progressing toward the rigid stage. There are a few factors at play in the formation of one or more hammertoes, and the team at Pinnacle Foot and Ankle helps you figure out the causes so you can work against them in the future. 

Here are some common hammertoe causes:

  • Tight-fitting shoes
  • High heels
  • Your genetics
  • Neuromuscular diseases
  • Traumatic injuries

Typically, you can tell you have a hammertoe because of its shape. However, you might experience additional symptoms like callouses forming on your hammertoes, pain at their joints, or joint swelling you can see. 

How are hammertoes treated?

The team at Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic aim to minimize the symptoms that come from hammertoes, like discomfort and callouses. The team might recommend custom orthotics to support your feet, a change of footwear, or toe taping to help correct the muscle imbalance that causes hammertoes.

The only way to fully correct a hammertoe is with surgery. Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic typically recommends surgery for severe hammertoe pain or any symptoms that interrupt daily function. During surgery for hammertoes, your surgeon may remove part of the bone in your toe to align the joint or place a steel pin in your toe to correct its shape. 

Discover treatments for your hammertoes and their symptoms by calling Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinic or booking an appointment online today.