Did you know that redheads require 20% more general anesthesia than non-gingers before going under the knife? This interesting tidbit comes from Rhoda Israelov’s blogging challenge on her Say It For You blog site. According to research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, redheads are thought to be more sensitive to pain because of a genetic mutation that affects their hair color.
Just as genetics can lead to increased pain in redheads, genetics also can play a role in the development of hammer toe in some people, causing them foot pain. Hammer toe is a deformity that causes the second, third, and/or fourth toes to curl due to a bend or deformity in the first joint of the toe. This unnatural bending of the toe causes it to look like a hammer or claw. The cause of this condition is usually due to, but not limited to, bio-mechanical inefficiencies in one’s gait pattern. Gait pattern can be inherited as well.
Initially, hammer toes are usually flexible at the joint, but, if the condition is left untreated, the toes can become rigid creating much pain and requiring surgery. People with hammer toe may develop corns or calluses on the bent joint and/or tip of the affected toe. They also may feel pain in their toes or in the ball of their foot at the base of the affected toe.
Finding Pain Relief for Hammer Toe Sufferers
Often people with hammer toe issues have difficulty finding comfortable shoes. Shoes that are too tight or too narrow in the toe box can cause or aggravate the hammer toe condition since the shape of the shoe often forces the smaller toes into an unnatural position. These toes can rub against the shoe which can cause corns or calluses to develop.
High heels force the body’s weight forward onto the balls of the feet and crush the toes against the shoes. Eventually, after long-term high heel use, the toes may become permanently bent, resulting in increased pain.
If you suffer from hammer toe, you can find relief by:
- Wearing shoes with soft, wider toe box shapes – avoiding shoes that are too tight or narrow.
- Wearing flats or heels that are less than two inches tall.
- Wearing shoes that are fitted to your ball-of-foot measurement instead of your heel-to-toe measurement.
- Wearing a hammer toe pad/splint to straighten and cushion the toe.
- Applying ice packs several times a day to reduce pain and swelling when inflamed.
The ezWalker® Custom Performance Insole can help relieve the pain and pressure of hammer toe by strategically supporting the medial, lateral, and trans-metatarsal arches to relieve pressure on the ball of the foot and therefore, release the action causing the hammer toe in the first place. Each ezWalker Performance Insole is custom molded to the specifications of each one of your feet, providing you with the support and comfort you need to relieve pain and produce comfort. Plus, you can wear them in any of your shoes – casual and athletic footwear, work shoes and boots, and even fashionable high heels.
Whether your hammer toe condition is due to genetics or not, ezWalker® Custom Performance Insoles can help you find relief from hammer toe and foot pain. Call us at 1-888-3-WALK-EZ (9255-39) today or visit our website for more information.
