Twisted Toes

If the toes between your big toe and your pinky toe look like inverted V's - or more like a hawk's foot than a human's - it is likely the telltale sign of HAMMERTOE, a common foot deformity. With hammertoe, the toe is bent at the middle joint. Indeed, as its name suggests, the toes buckle and point downward, giving the toe a hammer-like look.

Hammertoes are usually a benign but unattractive and sometimes painful sign that you are wearing the wrong shoes. If your shoes do not allow your toes to stretch out when you walk, your toes can bend permanently.


If you find yourself buying wider and wider shoes and your big toe is pointing out to the side rather than straight ahead, you have the classic sign of a BUNION. While bony protrusions at the base of the big toe are the hallmarks of a bunion, a similar protrusion at the base of the little toe is called a BUNIONETTE. A bunion - medically known as HALLUX  VALGUS, can get quite large and cause the big toe to crunch into or grow under its neighbor. Swelling and redness are other common signs of bunions, which can produce mild to severe pain.

Bunions tend to be more common in families and in people with flat feet or low arches. There is some controversy about the real cause of bunions. Some believe that, as with hammertoes, they are proof positive that you have been trying to cram your feet into shoes that are too small, too narrow, or too high-heeled. Others insist that bunions are due to an inherited mechanical imbalance that puts undue stress on the big toe. Most agree that both are factors. Bunions can also be an early warning sign that arthritis is just a step or two behind.

Half the women in America have bunions.


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