When to Consult a Podiatrist for Your Crooked Toes

Many people have crooked toes. Often having crooked toes is simply hereditary, such as an overlapping fifth toe on one or both feet, or it can be caused by lifestyle (such as footwear abuse) causing bunions, hammer, mallet or clawed toes. Regardless of what toe afflictions people may have, they need to understand when it goes beyond being a cosmetic hindrance and when it is time to go to a podiatrist to alleviate their foot concerns.

Hammer/mallet/clawed toes are an affliction where the toes tend to curl downward with the knuckle "tenting" upward and the point of the toe facing down as opposed to facing straight. In a rested position, the toes (typically the second or third toe, or both) look strained and as if they are being forced to curl downward. They create a clawed appearance and the prominent knuckles are typically pliable but do not remain in a straight position without being manipulated.

While this condition can be painless (at first) without treatment the joints and tendons in the affected toes can begin to stiffen to the point where the toe cannot be bent at all. This creates a painful condition where the joints are strained to bend with normal walking movement and the knuckles create bunions on the top of the toe where the knuckle is constantly crammed to the top of a shoe.

Bunions occur most often on the side of large toe, mainly caused by wearing tight shoes that shove the big toe toward the other toes. This creates a deformed appearance to the toe as it is forced to confine itself to accommodate tiny foot space. High heels and narrow pointed shoes are leading culprits to accumulating painful bunions. Bunions can become swollen, inflamed and irritated if left untreated, and become unsightly as the condition worsens.

Many people are embarrassed because of their crooked toes. What they need to understand is that often they are predisposed to crooked toes (hammer toes and the clawed appearance of toes can be caused by tight tendons in the toes since birth, an overlapping or underlapping fifth toe is a common toe defect usually detected and corrected at birth, although they usually reoccur as the tendons grow and have to be re corrected later in life) and there is no shame in having crooked toes. However, since a painless crooked toe condition can turn into a debilitating one that requires surgery, they should consult a podiatrist sooner rather than later.

People with crooked toes should wear comfortable, roomy shoes that allow their toes space to keep a normal position as much as possible while in footwear. Avoiding high heels and having shoes with good arch supports helps to disburse weight and pressure evenly throughout the foot to alleviate heel and ball pain as well as toe strain.

If examined by a podiatrist before the tendons have stiffened, crooked toes can be repaired without surgery. It is important to address toe issues BEFORE they become painful so options without surgery can be applied. Once a toe has become stiff and the tendons are no longer pliable, even if it is not a painful condition, the toes cannot be repaired without surgery.

An overlapping or underlapping fifth toe is most commonly an issue based on cosmetic reasons. It is usually not a painful toe affliction. However, left untreated, the toe can become easily agitated (rubbing on the top of the shoe, pressure on tight tendons) and the toe can become inflamed or even begin losing sensation due to its unnatural placement.

To get the most effective foot care it is best to address crooked toe conditions before they become painful. While often having crooked toes is simply an embarrassing annoyance, ignoring the deformities can lead to arthritis, painful swollen joints, further stiffening of the toe, and can even affect an individual's balance or the way they walk.

Simply put, having crooked toes is more serious than just a cosmetic affliction, and should be treated seriously. Just because it doesn't hurt (yet) the repercussions of ignoring crooked toes may be that surgery is the only option available. The longer a person waits to address their crooked toes, the greater likelihood their podiatrist will be able to address their issue non-surgically.

There is no shame in having crooked toes, but a person should see a podiatrist as soon as they can to address their foot issues before their only option is going under the knife. The sooner they see their podiatrist to treat their condition (painful or not) the sooner they can avoid long-term foot damage that will affect their life.