19 Jul How Can I Treat Mallet Toe? – Podiatrist in Nassau County
At Cherrywood Foot Care, we know that identification and recovery is key to repairing an injury. Toe pain can be a huge detriment to our everyday lives, putting us out of operation and off our feet. Sometimes our bodies can even become painfully deformed from overuse or impact. If you are suffering from toe pain, and observe an unnatural bend in one or more of your toes, you may have mallet toe. Our podiatrist in Nassau County will assist you in properly identifying this injury, but here is some information to help kickstart your healing process.
What is Mallet Toe?
Mallet toe occurs when the joint at the end of your toes can’t be straightened and exists in the resting state of an uncomfortable bend. The tip of the toe is usually turned downward, with the bottom of the toe pressing against the bottom of the shoe as the bend grates across the top. This occurs when wearing shoes that are too small in the front for a comfortable position, or while wearing shoes that force unnatural amounts of pressure onto the toes like that of high heels. Removing the shoes will relieve some of this pressure temporarily, but the injury still requires medical attention from our podiatrist in Nassau County as leaving mallet toe untreated can further stress the bend of the toe.
If you continue to wear constricting footwear or suffer from a sudden impact, the tendons of the toe will eventually tighten to their new crooked position and become stuck in that placement. This ‘rigid mallet toe’ causes the uncomfortable misaligned bend. Additionally, mallet toe can develop as a result of arthritis, muscle, or bone imbalances, and, of course, sudden impact. However, it is possible that mallet toe can occur without stress or overuse.
The symptoms of mallet toe include:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Toe ulcers (typically only for diabetic patients)
- Calluses or corns
How can I treat it?
We highly advise consulting our podiatrist in Nassau County to address your mallet toe. Disregarding your symptoms or attempting to rectify the situation on your own could lead to even further complications and allow the injury to progress further unimpeded.
You can take a few steps at home to reduce pain at home before your consultation. Our goal in treating mallet toe is to not only move the toe back into place but to reduce the amount of pressure and friction placed upon it. Some of these treatment options include:
- Cushioning the toe to prevent friction.
- Wearing proper footwear with wide toe boxes and breathable fabric.
- Reducing the time spent in heels and other uncomfortable footwear.
- Keep calluses thin (whether through foot treatments or items like pumice stones).
- Stretching the toe with muscle exercises.
Podiatrist in Nassau County
Cherrywood Foot Care offers a wide variety of carefully personalized podiatrist treatments for Nassau County. We offer programs that will help you remedy mallet toe in a comfortable, knowledgeable environment. To see what we offer, contact us for more information regarding mallet toe treatment.
