Why Are My Toes Crooked?

Why Are My Toes Crooked? 

Oddly positioned and sometimes painful toes characterize crooked toes. At one time you may have well-aligned toes, but over time you start noticing your toes are getting a bit crooked. Your small toe may start moving under the adjacent digit, or your second toe may become elevated and out of line with the rest of your toes.

Crooked toes are common and, in most cases, easily treatable. Some crooked toes may be caused by more serious underlying conditions like arthritis, foot injuries, or stroke. If you have noticed your toes are becoming a bit crooked, read on to find out more about crooked toes and discuss your concerns with your podiatrist.

Hammer, Claw and Mallet Toes

Crooked toes fall into three categories: hammertoes, claw toes, and mallet toes.

Hammer Toes

A hammertoe is a crooked toe bending downwards from the middle toe joint. When this happens, the middle toe joint rises. The second toe is usually the most affected.

Claw Toes                                                                                  

The four smaller toes are the most affected by claw toes. In many cases, they are affected together. Claw toes are characterized by upward bending at the joint connecting the toe to the foot.      The other joints, the middle and nearest to the tip of the toe, then curl inwards.

Mallet Toes

A mallet toe bends downwards at the joint nearest to the tip of the toe.

Crooked Toe Causes

Ill-fitting footwear is a leading cause of crooked toes. When you wear tight shoes for a prolonged period, it can deform your foot and cause crooked toes.

So, what exactly happens when you wear tight shoes?

First, your muscles tighten. Since your muscles remain in a constrained space for long periods, the muscles cannot relax, leading to gradual muscle tightening.

Second, your tendons contract or shorten. Tendons connect your muscles to your bones. When they go through the same compression as the muscles, your tendons lose their flexibility and shorten.

When muscles tighten and tendons contract/shorten, the result is a crooked toe.

Crooked Toe Treatment

Crooked toe treatment depends on the severity of the condition. Whether you are just starting to see some crookedness or have had crooked toes for a while, you can treat your crooked toes at home in the following ways:

• Stop wearing tight shoes. Look for shoes that offer ample toe room. Some options are properly sized sports shoes and open shoes like sandals.
• Use toe support products like moleskin, slings, splints, and arch supports. These can be helpful if your crooked toe is still flexible.
• If you have pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication.  

How about surgery?

Painful crooked toes may require surgery. These are cases with chronic pain and no response to other treatment methods. If this describes you, speak to your podiatrist on what surgical foot treatment options are available. You may be a candidate for minimally invasive toe surgery.

Crooked Toe Prevention

Crooked toe prevention involves maintaining good foot health habits. Good foot health involves some or all the following steps:

• Always wear properly fitted shoes. For ladies, this means avoiding or minimizing pointed tip and high-heel shoes.
• Walk often. Walking helps your toes maintain their range of motion, so the muscles and tendons do not compress or shorten.
• Whenever possible, walk barefoot. Barefoot walking helps stretch your toes and keep them well spaced.
• Improving your foot mechanics with orthotics when recommended by your podiatrist.