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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[JSoPhisticateD]

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

[jakitaprice]

I did the ball AND manually pulled the toe upwards while massaging the sides of my toe. Reversed the hammer toe in one weeks time.

[jo-annstasso]

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?

[mariakordyukova]

Great advice, thank you for sharing your knowledge! Greetings from a hammer toe owner in Russia :)

[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?

[em.x.ly]

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

[jaime]

I do this stretch and I can’t even see or feel the joint in one of my toes

[romansokolov]

What is the stretching exercise for hammer toes?

[hofft]

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

[ImProudtobeCanadian]

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

[SleepingLionUK]

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

[eelamite]

i wish my feet were more flexible like that!

[Mh-lbmu]

Hello, would this also work for a mallet toe?

[mickjager]

I hit my toe with a hammer and that fixed it. I'm guessing that's why they call it a hammer toe.😂 Folks with a camel toe are on their own 😮



😂😂😂

[honkymonkey]

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

[kmontgomery]

Seems like physical therapy can fix this. Correct?