Orthotics Aren’t Helping My Hammertoes: What's Next?

If you have the curved deformity known as a hammertoe, you know how bothersome the symptoms can be. Foot pain, corns, calluses, and swelling can interfere with your mood, mobility, and daily life.

Orthotics provide a useful treatment option for hammertoe deformities, but they aren’t always as effective as you might like. Thankfully, valuable alternatives exist.

At Babak Kosari, DPM, in Northridge and Santa Clarita, California, board-certified foot and ankle surgeon Babak Kosari, DPM, FACFAS, diagnoses and treats people with hammertoes. If orthotics aren’t alleviating your hammertoe symptoms, here’s what to do next.

How hammertoes form

Anything that regularly puts pressure on your toes or pushes them into awkward positions can lead to a hammertoe. The strain and pressure causes the muscles and tendons in the toe to tighten, keeping the toe curled.

Common underlying factors include:

• Wearing narrow or high-heeled shoes
• Having a bunion
• Having flat feet or high arches
• Having especially long toes

Certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may also contribute. The same goes for nerve damage in your feet.

When orthotics help (or don’t help) hammertoes

Orthotics are shoe inserts that support your feet and keep them well aligned. They can reduce hammertoe symptoms by adding arch support, redistributing your body weight away from the affected toe, increasing your foot arch, or keeping a flexible hammertoe from becoming rigid.

While orthotics are helpful in many cases, they don’t permanently “fix” hammertoes. For best results, they’re one aspect of a multi-faceted, personalized treatment plan.

You’re also less likely to have positive results if you buy basic shoe inserts from a store, versus getting fitted by a podiatrist for custom orthotics. Custom orthotics are designed to fit your foot and address your specific foot needs. 

What to do when orthotics aren’t enough

If you’re bothered by hammertoe symptoms that don’t resolve with orthotics, Dr. Kosari can determine your next best steps through an exam. If needed, he’ll order an imaging test, such as an X-ray, to get a better sense of your deformity. From there, he’ll create an individualized treatment plan, which may include:

• Corticosteroid injections
• Custom-fitted orthotics
• Padding to reduce toe pressure
• Taping your shoes for better muscle balance

Our team can also recommend lifestyle changes, such as improved shoe choices. Toe exercises and stretches may help as well.

If you have a severe, rigid hammertoe that doesn’t respond to conservative care, you may benefit from surgery. Hammertoe surgery realigns the bones in your affected toe and releases the ligament that’s keeping it bent.

Hammertoe care in Northridge and Santa Clarita, California

To get on the path to lasting hammertoe relief, call 818-831-1000 to reach your nearest Babak Kosari, DPM, office in Northridge or Santa Clarita, California, today. You can also use our online scheduler to book an appointment anytime.