Is It Time For You To Have Hammertoe Surgery?
When you first notice that you're developing hammertoe and point it out to your doctor, they'll usually give you some non-invasive treatments to try. They'll also assure you that when needed, they can send you in for podiatric surgery. But how do you know when the time for surgery has come? Here are some key signs that the benefits of hammertoe surgery have begun to outweigh the challenges in your case.
You can't bend your toe at all.
In the earlier stages of hammertoe, you can usually straighten your toe out if you try. You might have to use your fingers or your other foot to do so, but the toe still bends. As the hammertoe worsens, though, the joint becomes more and more fixed. If you can no longer bend the toe at all, that's a sign that you're ready for surgery. Non-invasive treatments like NSAIDs and braces won't do much to help you at that point. Having the tendons surgically cut is the only way you'll be able to bend your toe again.
You're having trouble wearing shoes.
Finding shoes to fit comfortably when you have a stubbornly bent toe can be really tough. You might find a few pairs of sneakers that work, but you probably don't want to wear sneakers to meetings, interviews, and formal occasions. You deserve to wear shoes that you find both comfortable and stylish, and having hammertoe surgery is the best path to that future.
You can't keep the pain under control.
Mild hammertoe pain is usually pretty easy to manage with a little massage, a brief foot soak, or maybe even a dose of ibuprofen. But when these measures cease to work, you may have a hard time getting through the day, let alone walking or working out. Surgery will cause some temporary pain while you heal, but once you are healed, you won't have to deal with hammertoe pain anymore. You deserve to live and walk around pain-free.
You're developing other foot defects.
Eventually, you'll start to compensate for the hammertoe by walking on other parts of your foot. You may develop corns, calluses, and blisters as a result. You can get to the root of the issue by having hammertoe surgery, which will help prevent future foot defects from developing.
Is it time for you to have hammertoe surgery? If you're in any of the above situations, the answer is probably "yes."
For more information on hammertoe surgery, contact a doctor near you.
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