Tag: Plantar fasciitis

Hammertoe: Insight

Hammer toe can be defined as a condition of foot deformity meaning a painful foot condition in which the toes curl and arch up that leads to heavy pain when wearing footwear. Hammer toe usually affects the second and third toe of the feet. Hammer toe can be diagnosed by doing a set of physical examination of the feet.

Cause of Hammer Toe

Most commonly a hammer toe occurs when the middle joint of the toe becomes bent or flexed downwards.

General Causes include

• Pressure from bunion
• Tightened ligaments
• Arthritis
• Traumatic toe injury
• Damage in the spinal cord or peripheral nerve

Symptoms of hammer toe

Hammer toe is bound to give an uneasy discomfort while walking. It causes unbearable pain if intended to stretch the toe.

• Bending toe
• Calluses or corns
• Toe looking like claw
• Inability to flex the toe
• Adapting difficulty in walking

Is surgery required for hammer toe?

Hammer toe surgery can never be the primary option. Hammer can be of different categories it may cause mild or severe. If there is severe hammer toe then hammer toe surgery is required. The best way to judge is to visit a doctor as soon as you feel uneasy.

Hammer toe surgery should be opted out in these basic following options

• Active infection
• Poor health condition
• Poor blood circulation in the feet.

Doctors prescribe Hammer toe surgery in severe conditions such as joint toe fusion and joint resection or even if you have swollen toes.

Hammer toe surgery is considered to be the least choice left for any hammer toe patient. Therefore it is of utmost importance to meet a doctor as soon as possible because a mild hammer toe condition can also lead to serious mishaps. In case the doctors recommend doing a Hammer toe surgery then it may be simply out of a failure in responding to treatments.

How can hammer toe be treated?

Hammer toe can be cured by wearing appropriate footwear and wearing properly fitting shoes. Mainly the high arch toe condition is caused by wearing toe pads that do not fit better. Correct toe pads shift the toe position that relieves the toe for getting overlapped from pressure.

Hammer toe treatment can be done using over the counter cushions, bunions, corns, and medications. Applying over the counter creams provides relief to blistering infections, and an ice pack can be used as Hammer toe treatment as well.

Preventive measures for hammer toe

Hammer toe problems in most cases have found out to be either from family history or chronically using tight pointed shoes. 

Eventually, a hammer toe can be avoided by taking certain stringent changes in your daily routine.

• Must avoid wearing shoes that are tight and narrow or don’t fit well. An especially woman who wears heels up to 6 inches must cut it down to 2 inches.
• Choose shoes that are much wider from the tip that gives you ½ inch between the end of the longest toe and inside the tip of the show.

Plantar fasciitis– symptoms and causes

Plantar fasciitis is basically a deformity of an inflamed thick band of tissues that connects the heel bone to the toes. It is commonly known as policeman’s heel. Our foot has a thick, fibrous band of tissues running from our heels to our toes. When these tissues are overly stretched, tiny tears occur in the tissue surface, which results in pain and inflammation. Traditionally foot doctors in Houston and Podiatrists Houston thought that heel spurs were the cause of plantar fasciitis. But modern treatment and research at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center proves that Heel spurs are the result and not the cause. They often prescribe heel spur pain relief in case of such a situation.

Causes of plantar fasciitis:

There are several reasons that contribute to the occurrence of plantar fasciitis. Generally, women are more prone to plantar fasciitis than men. The possibility of the occurrence of the disease increases with age. It also occurs when you are overweight or you stress your feet to the point of fatigue throughout the day.

 The risk of causing plantar fasciitis also increases if:

• Your shoes are uncomfortable, worn out with thin soles.
• You have flat feet or a very high arch.
• You wear ill-fitting footwear such as high heeled sandals.
• You have tight Achilles tendons pain or those known as ‘heel cords’.
• You have an unusual posture and walk or foot position.
• You are suffering from obesity.

If you bore such habits, then you should visit a foot and ankle specialist at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center in Houston TX. Ignoring plantar fasciitis can lead to chronic heel pain which will cause obstruction to our regular pace in life activities.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of plantar fasciitis include the following:

• Pain in heel and tenderness in your foot sole.
• The affected heel would cause pain which will lead to difficulty in bearing weight or any activity involved with the foot.
• It is difficult to walk, especially while taking the first few steps after waking up.
• The heel pain is more like a burning pain and sharp, which can become severe.
• Swelling of the bottom of the foot.
• You will gradually realize while working out any athletic activities.
• Swelling and tenderness at the insertion of the plantar fascia or the band of the tissue to the heel, on the bottom of the foot.

 You can start by preventing any stressful athletic activities. Visit for physical therapy from time to time. In severe cases, surgery is recommended. Treatment involves injections of cortisone in the foot which works as a pain reliever. Orthotic devices or shoe inserts are worn to take off the pressure from the plantar fascia. Heel lifts reduce pressure on Achilles tendon to relieve heel spur pain. Use sports running shoes with soft and cushioned insoles to reduce irritation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Houston, TX. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle injuries. Visit your nearest podiatrists in Houston or a foot doctor Houston, as soon as getting the symptoms.