Don’t Let Hammertoes Keep You From Your Favorite Activities

Hammertoes may start as a minor annoyance, but they can slowly take over your life. For many people in the city, foot pain from hammertoes doesn’t just interfere with daily errands. 

It can take the joy out of simple pleasures, like walking through Central Park, meeting friends for a stroll, or playing pickleball at the gym.

When your toe bends at the middle joint and won’t fully straighten, pressure and irritation build with every step. The good news is that hammertoes are treatable, and it’s something our team at NYC Foot & Ankle Center in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood of the Upper West Side specializes in.

Read on to learn why hammertoes form and how we can help you get back to your favorite activities. 

What hammertoes are and why they develop

A hammertoe occurs when the muscles and tendons that control your toe movement become imbalanced. Specifically, this imbalance happens when the small, stabilizing muscles inside your foot (intrinsic muscles) become weak, while the larger muscles that run from your leg into your foot (extrinsic muscles) remain strong. 

These stronger muscles pull unevenly across your metatarsophalangeal joints (the joints where your toes meet your foot). This tension eventually causes your toe to curl downward at the middle joint.

Common causes include:

• Wearing tight or narrow shoes that crowd your toes
• Foot structure issues, such as high arches or flat feet
• Muscle imbalance or tendon tightness
• Previous foot injuries
• Certain medical conditions, including arthritis or nerve disorders

If you can still bend your toe, it’s called flexible hammertoe. Without treatment, hammertoes can worsen and become increasingly painful. As time passes, you lose the ability to bend your toe, and the abnormal position can become fixed. This is called rigid hammertoe. 

How hammertoes can limit your daily life

Hammertoes not only affect how your foot looks, but they can also interfere with how you move. Many people experience:

• Pain or burning from shoe pressure
• Corns or calluses on the top of your toe or between your toes
• Sores on your toes
• Difficulty finding comfortable footwear
• Reduced balance or stability
• Avoidance of physical activities due to discomfort

These issues can slowly chip away at your mobility and confidence.

Treatment options that help you stay active

Because hammertoe can progress if left untreated, it’s important to consider treatment, even if your hammertoe is still flexible. 

Hammertoes can be managed with both conservative and surgical treatments, and we recommend the right approach based on the severity of your symptoms, whether you have flexible or rigid hammertoes, and whether they’re already keeping you from your favorite activities.

Conservative treatments for hammertoes

In the early stages, hammertoes may respond well to nonsurgical care, including:

• Shoe modifications with a wider toe box
• Padding or splints to reduce friction
• Custom orthotics to improve your foot alignment
• Stretching and strengthening exercises

These approaches can relieve pain and slow progression, especially when started early.

Surgical treatment for hammertoes

If a hammertoe becomes rigid or continues to cause pain despite conservative care, it may be time to consider surgical correction. Our team utilizes modern techniques that often allow for smaller incisions, less disruption to surrounding tissue, and a smoother recovery. 

The goal of surgery is threefold: to straighten your toe, relieve pressure, and restore function so you can move comfortably again.

Getting back to the activities you love

Surgically treating hammertoes does fix them, but that’s not where the benefits end. Our team works hard to help restore your ability to walk, exercise, and enjoy everyday life without pain. 

At NYC Foot & Ankle Center, we don’t want hammertoes to keep you from your favorite activities. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.