Treating Your Hammertoe

A hammertoe occurs when you have a toe that looks like a hammer. It'll have a bend in the center. Typically, it'll affect the second or third toe, possibly even both. If this sounds like an issue you have, or you know you have it, Dr. Asif Shah, Dr. Preston Carr, or Dr. Ehsan Khan of New Age Foot & Ankle Surgery, serving Farmville and Richmond, VA, and the nearby regions, can assist.

Helping You Choose the Right Shoes

 Part of your treatment will include educating you on the right footwear. You'll want shoes with a wide toe box and adequate room for your digits without folding them. You won't have excessive pressure on the toes, which can worsen the problem and contribute to pain.

Moreover, we recommend you avoid high-heeled shoes, as these put pressure on your toes. Not only can they increase pain, but they can also worsen your condition.

Providing You With a Custom Orthotic 

 You could opt for a custom orthotic, which can provide adequate arch support. Ultimately, this will take pressure off the impacted toe, which can minimize your pain. The inserts will also ease pressure on the tendons and muscles around the affected toe, preventing the problem from worsening while limiting your pain.

Taping Your Toe 

 Depending on the severity of your condition, we may recommend taping the affected toe to the adjacent one to reduce pain. This takes any pressure off the toe and can ease your pain.

Exercise Therapy 

 To restore or help you maintain function and flexion in your toe, a podiatrist in Richmond, VA, may recommend you perform toe exercises. These are stretches you perform that gradually increase in difficulty. Our physician will recommend how frequently you should perform them at home to ensure you maintain movement in that toe.

Surgery 

 Surgery is a last resort if other less invasive treatments aren't adequate. One option is to release the tendon, causing your toe to be misshapen. Another is to remove a portion of the bone, which will straighten the toe.

We could also fuse your joint to prevent the deformity from happening again or remove part of it to restore your toe's flexibility.

Visit New Age Foot & Ankle Surgery, serving Farmville and Richmond, VA, and the general vicinity, to see Dr. Shah, Dr. Carr, or Dr. Khan, who can assist in mild, moderate, or more severe cases of hammertoe. Treatment may range from conservative measures to surgery, though we use incisive techniques as a last resort.

To schedule a visit, call the Richmond, VA, office at (804) 934-9340 or the Farmville, VA, office at (434) 391-3668 today.