Common symptoms include:
- Toes bent upward (extension) from the joints at the ball of the foot.
- Toes bent downward (flexion) at the middle joints toward the sole of your shoe.
- Corns on the top of the toe or under the ball of the foot.
Claw toe deformities are easier to repair when detected early, but they harden into place over time. Splint or tape is used to hold your toes in correct position. Surgery addresses the entire foot; the pull of the tendons on top and bottom of the foot and the contracture of the joints of the toe. Muscle imbalance of the foot and leg must be noted. Claw toes are not simple hammer toes; they sometimes occur with neuromuscular disorders.
