Curvature of the toes in most cases pursues women, not men. This is due to wearing shoes with heels or tight dress shoes. With constant pressure, the bones are deformed, begin to constrain each other, which causes the formation of corns or calluses. At the same time, the bones hurt, the joints become inflamed, and you don’t want to put on shoes at all. How to get rid of this problem? Consider first the first symptoms. After all, everyone knows that the sooner you start treatment, the easier it will be to get rid of pain, and you won’t have to have surgery on your foot.
First symptoms of the disease
The disease begins, the appearance of pain when putting on shoes. When touching a diseased joint, a person feels severe pain, redness or swelling is possible, but insignificant. Many do not pay attention to the first signs, starting to notice the disease already with distortions visible to the eye. If the problem is with the big toe, then a "bunion" will form, which is a visible cosmetic defect.
Other fingers are deformed by strong pressure on neighboring ones, which leads topainful rubbing and pressing of fingers into each other. It can end with the crossing of fingers. At the very beginning of the disease, it is necessary to consult a specialist and start non-surgical treatment.
Causes of curvature of fingers
Scientists have not fully clarified the causes of this pathology, but it is believed that this is most likely a genetic predisposition in which weakness of the bone and connective tissues develops. This leads to flat feet, the development of osteoporosis, arthritis, and various disorders of the endocrine system. The main reason for the curvature is considered to be wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes, which, with constant pressure on weak joints, violates their structure.
Types of diseases
There are several types of pathology:
- Hammer toes. With this disease, the fingers are in a bent state. This is associated with wearing small shoes, arthritis or transverse flat feet. The ligament loses its flexibility and the degree of tension of the flexion function is disturbed. There are two types. In the first case, the finger can be straightened by hand, in the second - it cannot be done even manually. You need to immediately contact an orthopedist and start therapeutic massages, wear fixing insoles and finger straighteners. In severe cases, surgery is indispensable.
- Claw-shaped violation of the shape of the fingers. Associated with wearing tight shoes. With such a disease, the innervation of the phalanx of the toes is disturbed, bone and muscle tissue is affected. It is necessary to switch to shoes with wide toes and soft, not squeezing toes. They put on a special splint on several fingers, which prevents the fingers from touching. If a doctor prescribes a surgical correction of the tendon, then it is carried out by the puncture method, without cutting the tissues and long healing.
- Crossed toes. This type of curvature is clear even to a non-specialist. It can be visually seen that in this case the fingers are on top of each other. The cause may be tight shoes with a narrow toe, arthritis or transverse flat feet. At the beginning of such curvature of the toes, special toe straighteners can be worn, but in advanced cases, only foot surgery will help.
- Valgus deformity of the thumb. With such a disease, a bone grows, which constantly reminds of itself with pain and fatigue of the legs when walking. Sometimes it becomes inflamed, reddens and hurts when pressing and bending the foot. The disease can intensify, the bone grows, and the finger is even more deformed. Treat mainly with surgery.
- Taylor's deformity (curvature of the fifth toe). With such a disease, the little finger on the leg is tucked inward. This happens from the incorrect posture of the legs when sitting. Some twist the foot and the pressure falls on the lateral part. In this case, the deformation of the little finger on the leg occurs and a bump (growth) occurs at the site of pressure. When treating such a pathology, it is necessary to radically change the sitting position, wear wide and soft shoes, special caps that hold the little finger in the correct position.
Curvature of the big toe
In our time, the most widespread disease of the joints is the thumb. At the site of the curvature, bones appear on the toes. They often become inflamed and hurt.
There are several stages of this disease:
- The deformity of the toes is barely noticeable. There is no inflammatory process. Nothing hurts.
- Visually, the deviation of the finger to the other side becomes noticeable. Sometimes there is pain in the joint area.
- The finger is noticeably displaced. A pronounced bone appeared. The pain is frequent and long.
- Pain does not stop, very long, deformity of the toes is pronounced.
Diseases that contribute to curvature of the toes
In addition to improper wearing of shoes, there are a number of factors that affect the appearance of curvature of the toes. These are such serious diseases as diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, mechanical damage to the fingers or feet, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. As a result of foot injuries, reflex dystrophy may develop. The disease can also be caused by damage to the nervous system of the legs. Cerebral palsy, hollow foot, sclerosis, Charcot-Marie disease, can lead to pathological changes in the neuromuscular apparatus of the foot and legs.
People with genetic inheritance also have a tendency to such deformations. If your mother has such a bone, then the risk of it in you is alsois present. But, these are all contributing factors. The main reason for the appearance of bones on the toes, most doctors consider uncomfortable, narrow or tight shoes. It has been observed that in underdeveloped or warm countries where shoes are not worn at all, or wide open sandals are worn, such a disease is completely absent.
Treatment of this disease
One general recommendation cannot be given to all patients. This disease requires only an individual approach. Depending on the degree of curvature and the presence of pain, the doctor may prescribe conservative treatment or surgery.
In order to stop the deformity, it is prescribed to wear special shoes, instep supports or foot correctors. A special roller is inserted between the thumb and second fingers, which keeps the fingers in a level position and stops further curvature.
Pain occurs during inflammation in the joint. He needs to be stopped. For this, anti-inflammatory drug therapy is prescribed. Also, physiotherapy and massage can be additionally prescribed. In special cases, corticosteroid injections may be prescribed. Disprospan, kenalog and hydrocortisone have a good effect.
If the inflammation of the joint capsule is associated with an infection, then the doctor prescribes antibiotics and antiseptics. But, all these methods will only stop the disease. To get rid of it completely, you need surgery.
Orthopedic Aids
Todaymany orthopedic devices have been invented that delay a radical solution to the problem. These are special insoles, linings, insoles, interdigital ridges, correctors. Some need to be worn during the day, others are worn at night. The purpose of such devices is to keep the toes in the correct position, thus stopping the further process of curvature.
You can buy a rubber band that is worn for several hours. This is a wide rubber strip with a tubercle insert for the arch of the foot. It is quite tight and can interfere with the normal circulation of the legs. Therefore, it cannot be worn for a long time.
There are comfortable splints that are inserted into the shoes and prevent the affected area of the foot from touching the surface of the shoes. This temporarily relieves the patient's condition.
Surgical treatment
In severe cases of deformity, when no means help, a person experiences constant pain and cannot put on any shoes, only surgery will help. There are over a hundred different types of operations. Basically, surgical intervention is reduced to excision of the top or edge of the joint, removal of soft tissues and bones that interfere with the normal position of the fingers.
In severe forms of the disease, screws, wire connections or plates may be placed. Most of the operations are performed under local anesthesia. The duration of such interventions is up to one hour.
Types of transactions
Let's consider the most common types of operationalintervention:
- Exostectomy. The head of the metatarsal bone is to be removed. This is the section of bone tissue where the lump is formed.
- Osteotomy. During such an operation, part of the bone or phalanx of the finger is removed.
- Resection arthroplasty. Cut off the tip of the metatarsal bone at the junction with the phalanx of the finger. The metatarsophalangeal joint is located there.
- Arthrodesis of the joint. During the intervention, they create conditions for immobility of the joint.
- Joint replacement surgery with artificial implants.
- Surgeries to restore ligaments and connective tissues around the joint of the big toe.
Disease prevention
To prevent the formation of deformation of the fingers on the foot, you need to abandon model shoes and switch to more comfortable options. It should be shoes with low heels, with laces, with a free wide toe. With age, the size of the foot changes, so be sure to try on a new thing before buying. At the same time, it must be remembered that by the evening the foot is trampled down and swells, so it is better to buy shoes in the daytime. Comfort for the feet is provided by sports shoes, light ballet flats and shoes, sandals. It is advisable to choose products made from natural materials.
Women over 40 years old and men over 45 years old, despite the condition of the fingers, need to insert arch supports into their shoes, as age-related flat feet develop during this period.
The main thing is not to self-medicate. Onlythe specialist knows how to straighten the toes correctly. At the first signs of the disease, you need to go to an orthopedist or surgeon.
