Hammer Toe Specialists

Bay Area Foot Care Our Services Hammer Toe
Bay Area Foot Care - - Podiatry

Bay Area Foot Care

Podiatry & Foot and Ankle Surgery located in San Francisco, San Rafael, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Oakland, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Leandro, Concord, & Burlingame, CA

A hammertoe, or abnormal bend in your toe joint, is easiest to treat in its early stages. If you think you have a hammertoe, the expert podiatrists at Bay Area Foot Care offer treatments for all types of hammertoes. Bay Area Foot Care has locations in Burlingame, San Rafael, Concord, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Oakland, Walnut Creek, Carmichael, Sacramento, and San Leandro, California, as well as in the neighborhoods of Lower Pacific Heights, Inner Richmond, NoPa, and the Mission District in San Francisco. Call your nearest office or book an appointment online today.

Hammer Toe Q & A

What is Hammertoe?

Hammertoe is a bending (contracture) of the first joint in your toe, called the proximal interphalangeal joint. The contracture makes your toe look like an upside-down V. A hammertoe can affect any toe but is most common in the second through fifth toes. 

There are two types of hammertoe:

  • Flexible Hammertoe: A flexible hammertoe is less severe and easier to treat than the rigid type. When you have a flexible hammertoe, the joint is still moveable.
  • Rigid Hammertoe: Rigid hammertoes are more serious and may require surgical treatment. This type can develop in people who have severe arthritis or those who wait too long to seek treatment for a flexible hammertoe.

 

What are the Symptoms of Hammertoe?

The most noticeable symptom of a hammertoe is an abnormal bend in the toe. Other hammertoe signs and symptoms include:

  • Pain in the affected toe when wearing shoes
  • Inflammation, redness, or swelling at the joint
  • Restricted or painful motion
  • Pain at the ball of the foot below the affected toe


Friction from wearing shoes may also lead to corns or calluses between your toes or on the ball of your foot.

What Causes Hammertoe?

Hammertoes result from an imbalance in the muscles and tendons in your toes. This imbalance increases pressure on the joints of your toe and leads to its contracture. 

Wearing tight shoes that squeeze your toes may aggravate a hammertoe and cause symptoms to develop more quickly. Injuries, arthritis, and bunions can also disrupt the muscle/tendon balance and lead to hammertoe. 

How is Hammertoe Diagnosed and Treated?

Although hammertoes are immediately apparent, Bay Area Foot Care thoroughly reviews your symptoms and medical history and examines your foot to diagnose the condition. You may also need a digital X-ray to evaluate the severity of your hammertoe deformity.

Then, Bay Area Foot Care develops an individualized treatment plan. If your hammertoe is still flexible, you may use non-surgical treatments, such as:

  • Wearing shoes with a roomier toe box
  • Wearing custom orthotics 
  • Padding corns and calluses
  • Splinting or strapping the toe
  • Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications


If your hammertoe is rigid and painful or develops an open sore, surgery may be necessary. Bay Area Foot Care has the leading foot and ankle surgeons in Northern California. 

Call Bay Area Foot Care or book an appointment online as soon as you notice signs and symptoms of a hammertoe. 

Our Services