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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffWearing proper footwear may ease your foot pain. Low-heeled shoes with a deep toe box and flexible material covering the toes may help. Make sure there's a half-inch of space between your longest toe and the inside tip of your shoe. Allowing adequate space for your toes will help relieve pressure and pain.
In addition, your doctor may suggest exercises you can do at home or at work to strengthen your toe muscles. These may include:
- Picking up marbles with your toes
- Stretching your toe muscles
Don't try to remove a corn yourself using such methods as over-the-counter acid treatment, cutting or shaving. Home treatments can cause serious problems, especially if you have diabetes or poor circulation. Breaking the skin could result in an infection — in some cases, an infection serious enough to require amputation.
- Hammertoe. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/hammertoes.htm. Accessed June 24, 2010.
- Hammer toe deformity. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec04/ch043/ch043m.html. Accessed June 24, 2010.
- Klein SE. Conditions of the forefoot. In: DeLee JC, et al. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00025-7--s2255&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00025-7--boxsec40&uniq=206941847&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&sid=1016949770. Accessed June 24, 2010.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 8, 2010.
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