Crooked Toe

Question:

For months, I had moderate stabbing pain in the front of the index toe (the one next to the big toe). The pain has subsided, but now my toe bends to the left. Should I do anything about this or just accept that my foot will look different than it has for the past 60 years?

Submitted by – Ellen, Manchester, NH

Answer:

As long as your toe is not currently hurting or affecting your gait, I would not do anything. Months of pain may have been due to small shoes or enough downhill hiking to irritate the joint, but I have difficulty thinking it would have caused an alteration in the toe position. If it was from trauma and even if you had a fracture causing misalignment of the joint, I do not think many surgeons would want to do surgery on it months afterwards. So, in other words, if it ain’t hurting and if walking ain’t different, I would just accept it, maybe buy bigger shoes, and enjoy the next 60 years. —Buck