Symptoms, causes and natural remedies of hammer toe

Natural Remedies Of Hammer Toe

What Is Hammer toe?

Hammer toe is one of the foot deformities that occur due to an imbalance in the muscles, tendons or ligaments that normally hold the toe straight. A hammertoe has an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe. It affects the joint nearest the toenail and usually occurs in your second, third and fourth toes. It happens to any toe. Women are more likely to get pain in associated with hammertoes than men because of shoe gear. Hammertoe can also be a serious problem in people. People with these conditions should contact a doctor at the first sign of foot trouble.

The Symptoms Of Hammertoe Include:

• A curling toe Pain or discomfort in the toes and ball of the foot or the front of the leg, especially when toes are stretched towards down.

• Thickening of the skin above or below the affected toe with the formation of corns or calluses.

• Difficulty finds in shoes that fit well.

Causes :

Certain Shoes

High-heeled shoes or footwear which are too tight in the toe box can crowd your toes into a space in which they can’t lie flat. This curled toe position can eventually persist even when you are barefoot.

Trauma

An injury in which you jam, stub or break a toe can make it more likely for that digit to develop hammertoe. The abnormal balance of the toe muscles, The imbalance also leads to instability, which can cause the toe to contract.

Exercises To Treat Hammer toe:

A crunch is an abs exercise, but there’s another type of crunch that can also be done to work the toes. To perform it, sit on a chair in a comfortable manner with no sock on your affected foot. Place a large towel on the floor and put the upper half of your foot on it. Keep your heel down on the ground and crunch the towel up with your toes. Release them back out and repeat this for 10 to 12 times.

Taps

Taps can be also done from the same position as toe crunches. With bare feet, extend to your big toe down toward the floor while extending your remaining toes up in the air. Hold this position for a minute and lightly tap the floor with your toes. Do 10 to 12 taps and then reverse your toe position so your big toe is pointing towards up and your other toes are pointing towards down. Repeat the same taps for some time.

Manual Stretch

You can also stretch your toes with the use of a towel to lengthen your muscles. Sit on the floor with your legs straight and out in front of you. Wrap a towel under the toes, gently apply backward pressure and hold up to20 to 30 seconds. You can also use your hand to pull the toes back.

Toe Rolls

  Toe rolls are similar to that when you tap all your fingers from side to side on a table. Stand barefoot on a flat surface. Lift all of your toes off to the ground together, then roll them down one at a time from the little toe next to the big toe. Lift them up and repeat it for 10 to 12 times, then change directions.

Squeeze

The squeeze exercise can also be performed from a seated position. Place your foot on your thigh comfortably. Slide your fingers in between your squeeze and toes your toes together, pinching your fingers. Release and repeat it for 10 to 12 times. If it’s too much to do all of your toes, start it with one finger between two toes and work your way up to all of them.

Try These Apart From Exercises:

Pad It

Mild cases of hammertoe can also be treated with corn pads or felt pads.

Change your shoes

Wear wide shoes with a resilient sole. Avoid shoes with pointed toes.

Use Ice

If your hammertoe becomes painful, apply an ice pack several times a day can help relieve the soreness and swelling. As long as your toe is flexible, you can use natural treatments to relieve the poor curvature. Once the toe is rigid, surgical treatment is required. Take over-the-counter pain medications to relieve pain from hammer toe.