How to Heal a Hammer Toe

A hammer toe is a deformity of the foot where the joints of the main toes become bent, causing friction of the foot on footwear and enabling corn sand calluses to develop. A common course of treatment for a hammer toe is to have it surgically corrected, but there are many people who would like to avoid surgery. If you are one of those people and are suffering from a hammer toe, use a noninvasive method to try and heal the problem first.

Things You'll Need

• Custom-made orthotic inserts
• Well-fitting shoes
• Toe splint or brace
• Anti-inflammatory lotion
• Padded bandages

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Instructions

• 1

  Visit an orthopedist and have custom-made orthotic shoe inserts made. These orthotics will be made for your feet and will cradle them in the correct ways to give pressure where is needed.

• 2

  Choose shoes that fit your feet well and are not tight and restrictive. Look for styles that have square- or wide-toe areas to give your toes room to breathe and heal.

• 3

  Wear a toe splint or brace to help keep the hammertoe positioned properly. These splints will prevent the toe from turning or slipping into an uncomfortable alignment.

• 4

  Use an anti-inflammatory lotion to alleviate the infections and irritations on your hammertoe and keep them from recurring. Find a lotion that has tea tree oil and zinc as its ingredients.

• 5

  Cover your corns or calluses with padded bandages to keep them from getting irritated when you wear shoes.