Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado specializes in diagnosing and treating foot and ankle problems for women, men, and families residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The medical team lead by Jordan Cameron, DPM, and Mathew Hinderland, DPM, is the best in Colorado Springs hammer toe care and treatment.
Every individual at the Institute has advanced training and education in ankle arthroscopy, ankle replacement surgery, minimally invasive foot surgery. They offer treatment to people of all ages from infants, teenagers, middle-aged individuals, and seniors.
Their particular interest lies in people engaged in sports and has sport-related injuries. They have many years’ experience of treating foot and ankle conditions such as hammertoe.
Hammertoe Treatment at Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado
Hammertoe is a painful inconvenience. It affects the lesser digits from the second to the fifth toe. The middle joint of your toe bends, making an inverted V shape when viewed from the side. At the early stages of development, the toe can straighten when the person applies a little pressure but bends when the pressure is removed.
If you don’t treat hammertoe at the earliest stage, you can have a rigid hammertoe, especially if you have arthritis. The tendons in the toes can grow very tight, making it impossible to move the joint naturally.
What causes hammertoe
It starts with muscle imbalance in the toes. With time, abnormal pressure is applied to the tendons and joints in your toe. This leads to a person developing hammertoe.
The risk factors include:
- Wearing too-tight shoes for a while
- Foot trauma
- Arthritis
Symptoms of hammertoe
Due to the prominent toe contracture, it is easily recognizable. Some of the symptoms include:
- Corns on the affected toe
- Inflamed red skin
- Burning sensation on the toe
- Pain when putting tight shoes
- Calluses on the ball of the foot
At the center, they also use X-Ray imaging to determine the severity of your condition.
Treatment of the condition at the Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado involves both surgery and conservative care depending on the severity of the patient’s hammertoe.
If the condition at the earliest stage, conservative care is usually applied. It can include any of the following:
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Padding
- custom orthotics
- Splints or straps
- Wearing different shoes
The professionals at the center can also use wound care if you have an open wound at the top of your toe.
Surgery is recommended for people with rigid hammertoe that hasn’t responded to conservative care treatments. The doctors at the center, are expert surgeons who use advanced surgical techniques specialized for hammertoe treatment. The best example is the hammertoe implant.
The surgeons insert the implant inside the toe that offers relief to your hammertoe. The implant is a better hammertoe treatment than the old method whereby a patient had pins sticking out of the toes after surgery.
With regular visits after surgery, the hammertoe will be cured. The doctors will also advise on wearing comfortable shoes to reduce the chance of hammertoes redeveloping.
Other services offered at the Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado
- Minimally invasive foot surgery
- Plantar fasciitis treatment
- Tendonitis treatment
- Regenerative medicine
- Ingrown toenails treatment
- Ankle surgery
- Sports medicine
- Custom made orthotics
Make an appointment at the center to get all foot and ankle problems behind. If you have a flexible or rigid hammertoe, the doctors at the center will offer the best health care to relieve you of your pain.
