Sandals, the unofficial shoes of summer and vacationing families, show off everything your feet have to offer. Had your nails painted recently? Open-toed shoes let you display them proudly. Struggling with lots of foot sweat and its relative, foot odor? Sandals let your feet feel a breeze. Of course, showing off your feet can bare things about your lower limbs you find embarrassing or uncomfortable, too, like overlapping toes. While many people live with crossed-over digits and don’t have any problems, if yours are embarrassing or causing you pain, you might consider care options.
Overlapping toes are a pretty common foot issue. It’s a mild deformity that people are born with, and it may or may not cause painful problems. In fact, for many kids and adults, the overlapping toe is flexible, normal, and doesn’t contribute to pain. For others, however, having an overlapping toe is embarrassing. More than that, some toes actually stiffen and become problematic later in life.
How you take care of overlapping toes really depends on the person and how flexible or rigid the digit is. For some infants, a flexible digit can be stretched and taped into a more “normal” looking position. The older you are, however, the less likely that these conservative methods will have any effect. Your toes grow into that crossed-over position and aren’t easy to change.
There are, however, minor procedures that might help move an overlapping toe so it isn’t crossed over its neighbor. Sometimes releasing a tendon can help straighten out the digit. If the toe has become too stiff, you might need a more invasive procedure to adjust it. After surgically adjusting the toe, it will have to be held in place and kept stable to heal and stay it straight.
Not every overlapping toe is a problem, but if yours is uncomfortable or leading to embarrassment and anxiety, there are ways to take care of it. Our experts at Absolute Foot Care Specialists will help you figure out the best way to handle your toe care so you live a comfortable, active life. Contact our Las Vegas offices today by calling (702) 839-2010, or use our online forms to reach us.
