What causes the excruciating pain of what is called hammer toe?
Foot Conditions – Hammertoes Hammertoes is a term used to describe toe deformity caused by a muscle imbalance in the foot. A hammertoe is the result of the flexor digitorum longus muscle contracting first and overpowering the smaller muscles in the foot. This causes the toe’s outer two joints to bend downward, resulting in hammertoe. While genetics plays a role in creating hammertoes (a flat foot predisposes this condition) failure to wear extra wide shoes and corrective footwear often aggravates the problem. Hammertoes, if left untreated, can develop into a painful and permanent deformity. Often, the failure to use corrective shoes places additional pressure on the toes. This unnatural pressure serves to further aggravate the hammertoe deformity. Sources: http://www.drewshoe.com/hammertoes-shoes.
