What is the outcome of Bursitis ?
If the bursa gets enough abuse, it may get inflamed in its own right – this is known as bursitis. Generally, in the toes it is a ‘self-limiting’ condition, meaning it becomes so painful to wear the bad shoes that you have to stop thus solving the problem. Often, toe bursae won’t get inflamed, they will dutifully go on doing their job to protect you from injury. Unfortunately, the long term effects of your once-flexible toes clawing up inside a shoe is that they will, in time, lose their ability to straighten out. They will become permanently and arthritically fixed into a bent position, forcing the full time adoption of sensible footwear. A little discretion and advice from your podiatrist can help to keep your toes functioning normally into the future. If clawing of the toes is happening for ‘internal’ reasons rather than footwear ones, orthotic treatment is strongly indicated. Use this link to return to the Podiatry FAQs Blog, where you can search for more information.
