Claw Toe

Symtoms

Pain occurs upon pressure at the top of the bent toe from footwear.

You may feel pain in the toe or in the ball of your foot. A corn may form where the toe rubs against the top of the shoe. Or a callus may form under the tip of the toe or on the ball of the foot. Corns and calluses can also be painful.

Redness and swelling at the joint contracture.

The joint can be painful or not as flexible as usual, and pain in the ball of the foot at the base of the affected toe can occur.

Claw toes are more common in females than they are in males (because of footwear).

Possible Causes

Claw toes are related to hammer/mallet toes, and are most often caused by wearing shoes that are too short or heels that are too high.

This jams the toes against the front of the shoe and causes one or more joints to bend. Rarely, disease can cause the joints in the toes to bend. Mallet, hammer, and claw toes are among the most common toe problems. They occur most often in the longest of the four smaller toes.

There are three bones in each of your four smaller toes. Where two bones connect is called a joint. Normally the toes lie flat. But pressure on the toes or the front of the foot can cause one or more joints to bend. This curls the toe. Toes that stay curled are called mallet toes, hammer toes, or claw toes, depending on which joints are bent.

See hammer/mallet toe.

Treament

Your doctor will examine your feet carefully. He or she will check for corns and calluses and bend your toes to see if the joints are still flexible. You may also have X-rays to rule out arthritis. Buying shoes with more room in the toes, filing down corns and calluses and padding the toe most often relieve the pain. If these steps don't work, you may need surgery to straighten the toes.

You can put a gel pad on the toe or a foam pad on the joint. This keeps the tip of the toe from rubbing against the bottom of the shoe.

If you still have pain, you may need to put a pad or splint on the toe (if the toe is still flexible). This helps take pressure off the painful corn or callus.

You can also try this exercise:

Marble Pickup

Put a marble on a carpeted floor. Curl your toes over the marble and pick it up. Release. Repeat 20 times. Toe Pulls Place a large, sturdy rubber band around all five toes. Spread your toes out. Hold for 5 seconds. Then release. Repeat 10 times.