Know Your Toes: 3 Problems That Affect Them
Toes are valiant little digits that help carry us through life's adventures, but they can also fall victim to a few pesky conditions that afflict them specifically. Fortunately, there is no condition in podiatry that we are unfamiliar with. Podiatry Care, P.C., and the Heel Pain Center have been a trusted source for exceptional foot and ankle care service since 1986, and that’s because we offer a comprehensive range of foot care treatments.
With that history to guide us, we decided to devote this post to your toes and some common woes that ail them, from unpleasant bunions to uncomfortable ingrown nails.
Here are a few toe troubles and methods for resolving them:
Hammertoe
Imagine your toe curled into an awkward claw. That's a hammertoe, a condition in which the middle joint of a smaller toe bends upward. Symptoms include corns, pain, and difficulty wearing shoes.
Treatment:
Gentle stretches and wearing wider shoes can prevent progression.
Splinting can help realign the toe.
In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to correct the deformity.
Ingrown Toenails
This condition emerges when nail edges dig into the surrounding skin. Tight shoes, improper trimming, or trauma are common causes. Brace yourself for redness, swelling, and throbbing pain.
Treatment:
Your podiatrist might lift the nail edge, placing a thin cotton wedge underneath to ease the pressure.
In extreme cases a portion of the nail is removed.
Bunions
The dreaded bunion, a bony bump protruding at the base of your big toe, is often caused by genetics or wearing narrow shoes. Bunions can make even the most comfortable shoes feel like torture devices.
Treatment:
We recommend custom orthotics to help manage symptoms.
Surgery is sometimes required to realign the joint and remove the bunion. Often, taking preventive measures means surgery is not needed.
We hope this information is helpful. If you recognize some of the symptoms we mentioned, Dr. Charlotte George, Dr. Matthew Tschudy, Dr. Rebecca Wiesner, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and the rest of our team are eager to assist. To schedule an appointment at our Enfield location, call (860) 741-3041; for an appointment at our South Windsor location, call (860) 644-6525.