Washington, DC Podiatrist | Washington, DC Toe Deformities | DC | Foxhall Podiatry |

Some ailments of the feet are easily disguised and con go untreated for years. However, there are a few that need to be treated in the earliest stages to get any relief from the symptoms.

For example, fairly common diseases of the foot are known as toe deformities. These ailments are oftentimes caused by a muscle imbalance in the foot. This can be caused by several factors such as flatfeet, a traumatic injury, or disease of the toe joints.

Because the ailment of flat feet means that the foot is longer than that of a foot with a normal arch, the flexor muscles becomes overpowering. The toes are generally not strong enough to resist this tension which results in one of two deformities:

Claw toe - which happens when the middle bone is pulled downward causing the proximal and middle phalanges to buckle upward.

Hammertoe - which is when the proximal phalanx causes the outer two joints of the toe to bend downward.

If left untreated, these ailments can lead to other problems such as calluses or scenarios where two bones fuse together making the only treatment a painful surgery which can require weeks of recovery.

This diagnosis is best treated in the initial stages to avoid advanced development that may not be fixed with surgery.