Hammertoe is not a severe medical condition but, if left untreated, can lead to complications that may require surgery. This condition is a type of deformity of toes in which the toe resembles just like a hammer. It means the toes are bending towards the middle joint. It is because of the disturbance of the muscles or tendons which are holding the toe straight.
As the condition is not so severe, it can be reversed by simple stretching exercises of toes or applying various cushion pads to decrease discomfort.
Specific physiotherapy or massage sessions are conducted to treat hammertoe. Naperville hammertoe specialists guide the patients about different stretching exercises.
These exercises are helpful to restore the standard shape, and it takes just a few minutes every day and can be performed at home easily.
What are physiotherapy exercises helpful?
Specific exercises for hammertoe includes:
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Toe crunch:
it is considered one of the most straightforward and most essential exercises. In this, the patient must be seated comfortably and take a towel underneath the affected toe. After that, the patient must crunch the towel backward, join the tip to the base, and release it slowly. Some objects can be placed at the end for resistance, and the exercise must be repeated about ten times.
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Manual hammer toe stretching:
this exercise is just like pulling the toe towards the body. The patient wraps a towel on the toe, holds both ends, and stretches the toes towards the body. The patient must have been in this position for about 30 seconds. The patient can also use their hands if the towel is not comfortable.
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Toe taps:
this exercise is for joint stretching. The patient must be seated comfortably and keep their heel on the floor, and raise the toe. Then the tip of the toe should be tapped on the bed slowly.
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Hammertoe finger splint:
this is also called squeeze, in which the patient has to raise one foot towards the opposite thigh then try to squeeze the toes with the fingers or move the fingers gently between them.
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Rolls:
in this exercise, the patient must raise their foot from toe till middle leaving heel on the floor. Then they must be brought back to the floor gently from small to big.
Unless the hammertoe has reached the stage of surgery, these exercises are sufficient, but after that, doctors go for anti-inflammatory medications and cortisone injections.