• A hammertoe is a deformity of the second, third or fourth toes in which the main toe joint is bent upward like a claw.
• Initially, hammertoes are flexible and can be corrected with simple measures.
• Left untreated, they can become fixed and require surgery.
• Hammertoe results from shoes that don’t fit properly or a muscle imbalance, usually in combination with one or more other factors.
  
• Muscles work in pairs to straighten and bend the toes.
  
• If the toe is bent and held in one position long enough, the muscles tighten and can’t stretch out.

• The skin over your big toe may be red and tender.
  
• Wearing any type of shoe may be painful.
• This joint flexes with every step you take. Your big toe may angle toward your second toe, or even move all the way under it.
  
• The skin on the bottom of your foot may become thicker and painful.
• Pressure from your big toe may force your second toe out of alignment, sometimes overlapping your third toe.
  
• If this condition gets severe, it may be difficult to walk.
• Your pain may become chronic and you may develop arthritis.

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