Claw Toe

A claw toe, also known as claw foot, is not necessarily the symptom of tight or high heeled shoes. Many people assume that they are wearing shoes that have been squeezing their toes for too long, thus developing the claw toe condition. But there is usually a deeper, underlying nerve damage which manifests itself in the claw toe.

If any of your toes have begun to dig down into the soles of your shoes, creating painful calluses, the first thing to do is see a health care provider. A claw toe deformity is where one toe joint bends upward, and the other downward, creating a curled claw. This can be a congenital condition, which a child is born with, or an acquired problem that develops as a consequence of other disorders.

Whether a claw toe develops in childhood or later life, it should always be taken seriously just in case. A claw toe in itself is not dangerous, but often it indicates a more serious disease of the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy, rheumatoid arthritis, or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

As soon as you notice any of the claw toe symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible. You will go through an evaluation for certain neurological disorders that may have weakened your foot muscles. This weakness as well as trauma and inflammation are possible causes for the imbalance in your toes.

Treatment for claw toe usually includes stretching and using your hands to stretch your toe joints into their normal positions. This will be easy in the early stages, while the claw toe is still flexible. Later on, claw toe will fix itself into position. Surgery may become necessary at this point. Otherwise, special shoes can be made to accommodate the deformity.