Healthy Feet: what to do for hammer toe

Have you been told you have hammer toes? Do you look down at your feet and see that your toes have curled up? Are you seeing a physio for foot or toe pain?
Looking after your feet is incredibly important. They are the base for all your movements and allow you to balance, walk and help create movement further up the chain!
In this video, physiotherapist and foot and ankle expert Jane Baker explains what to do with hammer toe and how to avoid common mistakes in your exercises.
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[@user-ll5ik3fm6f]

This exercise feels so good. I've done ballet for years and my feet are cast iron stiff every morning. Thanks

[@completepilatesuk]

That's great to hear. We are really glad they have helped!

[@jo-annstasso8560]

Wow! Your feet are so healthy! I tried using the ball and couldn’t believe how straight my feet are. They literally could not curl around the ball. I noticed you massage the top of your foot. Is that all that is required to bend at the (is it called the ) “metatarsal”? Do you have a short to demonstrate how to properly massage the top of the foot to get it to bend properly?

[@completepilatesuk]

Thanks for your questions @jo-annstasso8560. Jane's feet do move incredibly well and she does a lot of work to keep them like that! Do not worry if your feet don't move as much, you can still do the stretch and gently work on it.
Massaging the top of your feet if you do it yourself doesn't have to be very specific. If you look down at your toes and wiggle them, you will see the tendons moving and showing through your skin. Use the side of your thumb, a bit of cream, and slowly go in between these tendons. You can also just have two flat thumbs, holding onto your foot and gently rub the top of your feet and over your toes.
Let us know if you want a video!

[@nancycy9039]

@@completepilatesukyes, a video would be great!! Thanks!

[@kivastevens1654]

Thank you😊❤

[@completepilatesuk]

You're welcome 😊

[@llf5764]

Thank you

[@completepilatesuk]

You're welcome

[@inamike1887]

thank you so much

[@completepilatesuk]

You’re welcome 🩵

[@MeredithDomzalski]

Woah! I don't have the hammer toe bend, but I didn't even know the metatarsal joint could bend that far in that direction except maybe in dancers.
It looks like mine bend but nowhere near that far. When is that movement used in normal life?

[@completepilatesuk]

Some people's can but don't worry as there is a big range of what is normal! It is great that you don't have hammer toes but doing general foot mobility will help the health around your foot and ankle so it is worth doing. We use the mobility and power in our feet every time we walk, run and jump!

[@romansokolov4589]

What is the stretching exercise for hammer toes?

[@completepilatesuk]

This is when you are using the ball under the pad of your foot and doing gentle massage at the same time. It is shown towards the end of the video and can be really effective!

[@yerrswearr6831]

@@completepilatesukso I’m rolling under the toes or close just really close under

[@eelamite]

i wish my feet were more flexible like that!

[@completepilatesuk]

If you work on these slowly then you can change your feet. It does take a lot of dedication though. And remember, some of us can do the splits and others can't. Thank doesn't mean we don't have perfectly good flexibility!

[@eelamite]

i just cracked my toe knuckles on my 20th, 2 weeks ago@@completepilatesuk

[@4057hofft]

I had my big toe amputated, now my second toe is hammered and will not straighten. It seems fused bent. What can I do without surgery

[@completepilatesuk]

Thanks for asking. I would strongly recommend having a chat. If you want drop us an email to [e-mail] and we can ask Jane to get in touch and help

[@em.x.ly0]

How long would you have to do this for, and if you had to do this everyday how long for?

[@completepilatesuk]

It depends a little bit on whether you are actively curling the toes (which would make it a strengthening exercise) or passively allowing them to stretch. Actively you could keep repeating curling the toes for up to 2 mins or until your feet fatigue. To stretch the joints you might hold in position (or stretch toe joints with your hands) for 30 seconds and repeat 3 - 5 times. If you can do 3 - 5 times a week that would be great. How long you would need to continue the exercises for depends on how long you have had the problem. For some it might be something that is part of daily routine, like brushing your teeth.

[@ImProudtobeCanadian]

Does spacers work, too? My toes don't straighten properly like they used too.

[@completepilatesuk]

off the shelf spacers can be really difficult as they are chunky and often don't fit into your shoes. However, you can get custom ones which podiatrists make. These won't necessarily help straighten your toes though. You can try the ball exercise at the end of the video. But otherwise I would try and speak to a foot and ankle physio or see a good podiatrist. If you want to chat drop us an email to [e-mail]

[@rtwheeler8450]

Aww 🥰

[@dryroastedpnutta6253]

Why do mine seize up/cramp as soon as i attempt it.

[@completepilatesuk]

sorry for the delay @dryroastedpnutta. For a lot of people this is due to weakness in the area so they don't quite know what to do. We can chat about it further if you want to drop us an email

[@Mh31-lb9mu]

Hello, would this also work for a mallet toe?

[@completepilatesuk]

Yes you can definitely try this as it can help release the foot. You can also try using the massage ball on the bottom of your feet.
Are you doing any foot strength exercises at the moment?

[@Mh31-lb9mu]

@@completepilatesuk thanks for the reply, I recently started taking care of my feet, I got some toe spacers which I wear all day without pain and I started doing exercises like lifting and pressing the toes against eachother, I don't have a massage ball but I use a golf ball instead, thank you.

[@completepilatesuk]

This is a great start! Separators can be great but you want to make sure that they are encouraging the problem. When you are doing your exercises just take your time as well and make sure that you are working from the right place, this can be a common problem. You can also try massaging your feet yourself and doing the gentle mobility work.

[@Mh31-lb9mu]

@@completepilatesuk thanks I'm looking forward to the results

[@honkymonkey9568]

Your toes bend like a hand. My toes don't bend like that.

[@completepilatesuk]

To be honest @honkymonkey9568 most people's feet don't move like that! Jane Baker is a specialist foot and ankle physio so she needs to be able to demonstrate well! Don't worry too much if your feet don't move as well, just try giving the exercises a go and see how you get on after a few weeks. We would love an update!

[@kmontgomery27]

Seems like physical therapy can fix this. Correct?

[@completepilatesuk]

It potentially could but I would strongly recommend seeing someone who specialises in feet. They can be quite tricky. However, you should be able to help them. It takes some dedication to the exercises though. If you want to have a call about how it can help just drop an email to [e-mail] and we are happy to call and talk about your options