A hammer toe develops when one of a person's middle toes has a bending or contracture at the first or second joint. It can occur on the second, third or fourth toe. This bend in the toe is a bony prominence that makes the toe look like the head of...
Arthritis can happen anywhere in the body, even the feet. Arthritis can be mild, not interfere with daily life, or it can be disabling. The best approach for management is to seek treatment as soon as you notice any signs or symptoms of arthritis...
The feet are a frequent site of diabetes-related problems. Nerve damage and decreased circulation are important contributing factors to diabetic foot problems. Diminished or abnormal sensation, skin changes, wounds, infections and toe deformities...
When an artery or blood vessel becomes blocked by a blood clot, a cerebrovascular accident (stroke) may occur. Once blood flow is reduced or halted to the brain the cells are deprived oxygen and begin to die. The full effect that one may...
Hammertoe, claw toe and mallet toe are all types of malformed toes. Typically it is the second toe, next to the largest toe, that is curled under. This is sometimes a result of the toe being too long or secondary to a bunion, a painful growth of...
Up to 70 percent of people with long-standing diabetes mellitus, or DM, develop nerve damage as a complication of the disease, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This condition, known as diabetic...
When the foot has a higher than usual arch, it is classified as a cavus foot, or pes cavus. Pes cavus literally means "hollow foot," according to UW Medicine, because the impression a cavus foot leaves consists mainly of the heel and ball of the...
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, hammer toes refer to a deformity in your second , third or fourth toes. Your toes can be claw-like in appearance and you can have pain or difficulty moving the toe. A toe injury or medical...
You may have toe surgery to repair a fracture, eliminate stiffness, remove a bunion or fix a toe abnormality such as a hammer toe. Surgery can help to eliminate pain and restore normal function in your toe. Following toe surgery, your surgeon may...
Pes cavus or claw foot, as it's colloquially called, is the relatively simple and common condition of high arches in the feet that has an unfortunate and, some might say, frightening name. Mild cases result in some discomfort in the form of...
Your feet make contact with the ground some 1,500 times per mile of running. It's therefore not surprising that all manner of things can go wrong and cause one or both feet to hurt during or after a run. Soreness following a run may originate in...
A foot with a high arch tends toward supination, the outward rolling of the ankle while running or walking. If you have high arches you might be prone to hammertoes, clawed toes, tight Achilles tendons, lower back pain and other problems,...
If you are suffering from a foot or ankle injury, chances are good that physical therapy is on your treatment horizon. One oft-recommended home exercise takes no equipment other than a towel placed on the floor. The towel crunch exercise calls for...
The elliptical machine is designed to be a low-impact exercise that is highly beneficial in a cardiovascular workout. Elliptical machines provide a total body exercise without stressing your lower extremity joints. However, when not used properly,...
Calcaneus fracture, also called a heel fracture, is the most common injury to the tarsal bone in the lower leg. Most calcaneus fractures occur as a result of high-impact trauma such as a fall or motor vehicle accident. Calcaneus fractures require...
Running, for all of its undisputed health benefits, is tough on your body. Your muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments are all subject to high-impact forces and tensile stresses, and soreness and injuries are almost inevitable. Less common but...
Hammer toe is a condition where your toe bends down at the end like a claw. It usually happens on the second toe, and is often caused by wearing shoes that are too tight. Over time, it is painful to walk or wear shoes, and the toe can no longer be...
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), about 75 percent of Americans will experience foot pain at some point. UMMC notes that foot pain primarily is caused by shoes that don't fit properly or that force the foot to conform...
High arches can cause pain and make walking difficult for your child. The condition, known as cavus foot, rarely is present at birth and usually develops over the first 10 years of a child’s life, reports the Seattle Children’s...
Your feet are the first point of contact with the ground during walking or running, and therefore have to distribute the impact forces of some 180 steps per minute throughout the rest of the lower body. As a result, pain and injury are common woes...
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, ill-fitting shoes are one of the most common causes of toe and foot disorders. Being overweight also increases a person's risk for foot problems. Toe and...
A flat foot, also referred to as flatfoot or flatfeet, occurs when the arch of the foot does not arch. The arch may not develop in childhood, and some conditions can cause the arch to fall as well. Many individuals with flat feet experience no...
A callus is skin that becomes thicker to protect itself from injury. Calluses can appear on your feet when running because of the friction caused during this activity. The skin might seem flaky, dry and harder than the rest of your skin....
Jogging is a great fitness booster and a time efficient way to burn a lot of calories. These benefits, however, come at a considerable physical cost, as jogging places a great deal of stress on the hips, knees, ankles and feet. In addition to...
Gout is a form of arthritis that usually affects the big toe joint, although it can affect any joint in the body. It occurs when uric acid, a waste product produced by the body, builds up in the blood and forms crystals in the joints. As a result,...
Hammertoe is a toe deformity that occurs when the second, third, fourth or little toe become visibly bent, according to Foot Health Facts. The affected toe bends downward into a claw-like position. The condition may arise as a result of a muscle...
If you are a regular runner, you have probably experienced your share of leg aches and pains, and have possibly had some foot discomfort. While in most cases pain is the primary symptom and a stress fracture or plantar fasciitis the most common...
Pes cavus is a foot disorder caused by a plantar flexion. Get expert tips and advice on foot treatments in this video.