Your feet are important as you need them to stand and walk. When your feet have extra stress, they can develop disorders such as hammertoe. When you develop hammertoes in Laguna Hills, CA, you should make an appointment with the team at Laguna Woods Podiatry Group. Dr. Neda Arjomandi is an experienced podiatrist who can diagnose and treat a range of foot issues. If surgery is necessary, your feet will be in good hands.

Cause of Hammertoes

 Regardless of how stylish a shoe is, if it doesn't fit properly, don't wear it. Improper shoe fit is one of the main reasons people may develop hammertoes and other conditions like calluses and ingrown toenails. If you wear shoes with heels on them, make sure they are heels you can walk and stand in comfortably that won’t constantly slide your feet forward into the toe box. When you have flat feet, you may need inserts for proper support so your toes won't develop such a deformity. Some people may develop hammertoes because of muscle imbalance in the lower leg and foot area. If your feet have an extremely long second toe, it can also apply pressure and stress on your other toes when wearing tight shoes.

Hammertoe Symptoms

 You know you have a hammertoe when the affected toe begins bending up in the middle joint. You may experience pain underneath the bent toe. The situation may also cause swelling and redness in the area. The deformity can make it easy for corns and calluses to form as the toe experiences friction against your shoes. As a result, walking can become painful.

Surgical Solutions

 While your Laguna Hills, CA, podiatrist will do whatever they can to use non-surgical treatments, like physical therapy and splinting, to get your affected toe to realign, that may not always be feasible. Severe cases of hammertoe need surgical intervention. 

The most common procedure for this disorder is proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint fusion. Your podiatrist will stabilize your toe by fusing two bones. After the surgery, it takes 3 to 6 weeks for your bones to fuse while held together by a stainless-steel K wire that is later removed. Your podiatrist may also permanently implant rods and screws in the toe. For the next 4 to 6 weeks after either surgery, you can expect to wear a post-surgical shoe or boot to avoid weight on that foot. 

Visit Laguna Woods Podiatry Group for your podiatry needs. Dr. Arjomandi is ready to help treat your hammertoes in Laguna Hills, CA. Call the office at (949) 581-2520 for an appointment so you no longer have to live with foot pain or deformity.