How to Prevent Bunions & Hammertoes
During the warm weather months, when people are wearing open-toe footwear, take a look around and notice the state... Read more
Educational Articles
Hammertoe Stretch & Mobilization
In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, demonstrates a two-part stretch that can be used to help rehabilitate hammertoes. Hammertoes are caused by an imbalance between toe flexor and extensor tendons. The stretches shown in this video help restore tendon balance and realign the toes to the position that nature intended.
Disclaimer:
The above content is for educational or informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or augment professional medical instruction, diagnosis, or treatment. Read full disclaimer here.About the Author
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Related articles:
Hammertoes: Conventional vs. Natural Approaches
In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the foot and toe condition called... Read more
WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR FOOT HEALTH?
Let the team at Natural Footgear help you! Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest offers and helpful info, and sign up for our FREE email courses on various topics and foot health conditions.
Essential Footgear:
$65.00
$10.00
$14.00
$70.00
$30.00
$30.00
I’ve watched a bunch of your videos and just wanted to say thanks again for creating these videos and educating us. I’ve had many of the issues you’re talking about and feel like I will be ok because for the first time I know how to take care of myself.
With all the podiatrists I went to, I never got any explanation on why I had my foot problems, only “options” for surgical intervention.
I’m ordering a second pair of your toes correctors for my daughter.
Thank you again for what you do!
Hi, Mary,
Thank you so much for your kind note! It’s our great pleasure to serve you and your daughter as best we can. I wish you both continued success on your journey toward optimal foot and toe health.
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC
Wow! Very interesting video. I was told by a podiatrist that my hammertoes were caused by my bunion and that this is why they are deforming. But maybe I will see a chiropractor about naturally correcting my hammertoes. Thank you!
Hi, Shirley Anne,
Thank you for your comment. You may also appreciate these helpful resources on hammertoes:
Hammertoes:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17883488-hammertoes
How to Prevent Bunions & Hammertoes:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17888308-how-to-prevent-bunions-hammertoes
Hammertoes: Conventional vs. Natural Approaches:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17883716-hammertoes-conventional-vs-natural-approaches
Please let us know if you have any additional question!
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC
What accounts for inconsistent hammertoe pain? Sometimes it’s very painful, other times not at all. I’m always wearing the same Nike sneakers.
Hi, Andrea,
Thank you for your question. We’re sorry to hear that you’re experiencing hammertoe pain.
In our experience, we’ve found that inappropriate footwear is the primary cause of hammertoes (painful or otherwise). Most Nike shoes pinch the toes together and deform them over time, causing pain—sometimes chronic, sometimes intermittent—in many cases. Without a full health history and physical examination, it’s impossible to say more about the nature of your particular pain, but we did want to share some additional resources from our site that you might find helpful:
Hammertoes
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17883488-hammertoes
Hammertoes: Conventional vs. Natural Approaches:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17883716-hammertoes-conventional-vs-natural-approaches
Problematic Shoe Design Features:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17890808-problematic-shoe-design-features
Switching to truly foot-healthy footwear (i.e., footwear that will allow your toes to splay as nature intended), is often a great first step for folks looking to eliminate hammertoe pain. Adopting Correct Toes toe spacers is another key consideration in straightening crooked toes. You can find this footgear by following these links:
Women’s Shoes:
www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/womens-shoes
Correct Toes Toe Spacers:
www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/correct-toes
I hope this information helps! Please do let us know if you have any further questions. We’re happy to help!
Cheers,
Andrew Potter
Somewhere in your literature I read that when the first knuckle (nearer your body) of the hammertoe is rigid, there’s nothing that can be done about it. Is this true?
I also have a toe that looks a bit like a hammertoe (it’s next to my pinky toe), but the end portion of it has turned toward the right, meaning that sometimes it gets caught in the wrong position for walking, so that I’m not walking on the top of the nail but on the side of the toe. When I go to the podiatrist to get my toenails cut every 9 weeks (what Medicare allows), lately there always seems to be a corn that has to be cut off that toe. It was starting to alarm me that my skin was being cut at about the same place every 9 weeks. This couldn’t be optimal for the skin, and it scared me. But that pain went away when I used Correct Toes, and the toe spacers pulled that last section of the toe into a straighter position. I also find that, when I wear Correct Toes in the shower along with my flip flops, I no longer get that old painful feeling. I would love some feedback about this. I’m not sure if what I have is called a curly toe.
Hi, Natalie,
Thank you for your comment. We’re sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with toe pain.
You’re correct that when a hammertoe becomes rigid (i.e., when you can’t use your fingers to manually straighten it), there is less that can be done to address it using natural methods. Rigid hammertoes are, for many people, most effectively dealt with via surgery.
It’s hard to say for sure if that other toe is a true curly toe or not without seeing it. That does indeed sound like what you described, though. It’s great to hear that wearing Correct Toes has helped address the discomfort you’ve been feeling in that toe.
Please do let us know if there are any other questions we can help with!
Kind Regards,
Andrew Potter
To stretch a hammertoe manually try this: Sit, with your feet flat on the floor. Lift your right leg and place your ankle on your left thigh (or vice versa, if your hammertoe is on the other foot). Slowly and gently pull the bent toe down, stretching the joint. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times on each affected toe.
Hi, Isabella,
Thank you for your comment. And thank you for your stretch recommendation. What you’re proposing is actually a variation of the Toe Extensor Stretch, which is demonstrated in part 1 of the video above. The key, as you noted, is being gentle (and deliberate) in the stretching, not going too far, too fast. You just want to feel a light stretch in the toe extensor tendons that run along the top of the foot.
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC