Our feet carry the burden of our weight each and every day, so you can just imagine how exhausted and strained the feet can be. That is why those precious pair of yours should be taken good care of, because failure to do so can lead to many deformities and feet problems – and one common foot deformity that a lot of people face nowadays is hammer toe.
Hammer toe is a deformity that occurs on the toes of your feet, particularly the second toe. This is usually characterized by bending of the toe joints so that it resembles a hammer. Painful corns and calluses can also appear alongside this deformity. Although it is just a mild foot problem, it can become worse over time if not treated. If you have a hammer toe, do not wait until it gets serious, try these 5 treatment and cures for hammer toes.
1. Feet exercise
The feet also need to be worked out. To avoid it from getting too strained, you should at least stretch out your feet and toes every morning when you wake up. This will help warm the feet up so they can be more tolerant to the pressure that the feet will receive the whole day.
Whenever your feet become sore, you can just stretch and rotate them so that your nerves and muscles will become more relaxed.
2. Corrective footwear
The main reason for foot deformities like hammer toe is a poor-fitting pair of footwear. If you want to treat this foot problem, and to prevent your feet from future problems as well, you should invest in the right pair of shoes for your feet. There are some special corrective footwear, like Morton's Neuroma shoes, that health professionals recommend in order to avoid feet problems.
Moreover, refrain from wearing high-heeled and tight shoes. If you need to wear them, always keep a spare pair of comfortable shoes with you so that you can change if your feet start to ache.
3. Foot straps, cushions and padding
Wearing orthopedic devices can help in reducing the pain and inflammation caused by hammer toe. There are foot straps, cushions and padding that you can readily buy on the market. These medical devices will help correct your feet deformity and make them comfortable during the treatment period.
4. Quick pain relief
If your feet is aching, you can take medications or do some home treatments to relieve the pain that you feel. You can ask the local pharmacy about the medicines that you can take to reduce the soreness of your feet. At home, when your feet is stinging, you can simply place an ice pack on your feet and let the cool temperature soothe your feet. Note that these remedies do not really treat the hammer toe. They just merely aid in giving you quick pain relief.
5. Surgery
Serious hammer toe problems may require surgery. If you have enough money for surgery, then you can opt to undergo some surgical procedures to have your hammer toe corrected. You can just contact your doctor and set up an appointment with him to discuss about your foot problem.