Hammertoe Treatment in San Diego
Conservative-first care and advanced surgical correction for painful, bent toes — from an experienced foot & ankle surgeon.
If one of your toes is bending in the middle instead of lying flat — and it's rubbing in your shoes, forming corns, or starting to ache — you may be dealing with a hammertoe. It's one of the most common toe deformities, and it tends to get worse over time if it's left alone.
The good news: caught early, a hammertoe can often be managed without surgery. And when surgery is the right call, Dr. Jay Berenter brings advanced techniques and more than 35 years of experience to correcting it.
What Is a Hammertoe?
A hammertoe is a deformity in which a toe bends downward at the middle joint instead of pointing straight ahead, giving it a bent, hammer-like shape. It most often affects the second, third, or fourth toe, and it frequently shows up alongside other foot problems like bunions.
Early on, the toe usually stays flexible — you can still straighten it by hand. Over time it can become rigid and fixed. That's why timing matters: the earlier a hammertoe is addressed, the more conservative options you tend to have.
Symptoms of a Hammertoe
You may have a hammertoe if you notice:
What Causes Hammertoes?
Most hammertoes come down to an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that normally hold the toe straight. When that balance is off, the toe is pulled into a bent position. Common contributing factors include:
Because a hammertoe is usually driven by the underlying mechanics of your foot, addressing those mechanics — not just the toe itself — is often part of a lasting solution.
Conservative Treatment First
Whenever it's appropriate, Dr. Berenter starts with the least invasive options. For a flexible hammertoe, conservative care can relieve symptoms and help slow the deformity's progression:
It's worth being clear about what conservative care can and can't do: these measures are very effective at relieving pain and pressure, but they don't reverse a deformity that's already formed. For a flexible hammertoe, that's often enough to keep you comfortable. For a rigid one, surgery may be the only way to actually straighten the toe.
When Surgery Is the Right Option
If your hammertoe has become rigid, painful, or is no longer responding to conservative care, surgical correction may be the best path forward.
Hammertoe surgery is an outpatient procedure aimed at realigning the toe, relieving pain, and getting you back into comfortable shoes. Depending on whether the toe is flexible or rigid — and on your specific foot — correction may involve releasing or rebalancing the tendons, removing or realigning a small portion of bone at the joint, or stabilizing the toe in its corrected position. Dr. Berenter will determine the right technique for your situation.
As a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon who has developed advanced techniques in hammertoe correction over the course of his career, Dr. Berenter tailors the procedure to your foot, your goals, and your day-to-day life — with the same attention to comfort, results, and recovery that defines his practice.
Is It Time to Have Your Hammertoe Evaluated?
Consider scheduling an evaluation if you have:
Not every bent toe needs surgery, and not every hammertoe is the same. Dr. Berenter will perform a careful examination — and review X-rays when appropriate — to confirm what's happening and recommend the right treatment plan for you.
Experience Matters
Dr. Jay Berenter has spent more than 35 years treating foot and ankle conditions in San Diego. As an experienced podiatric surgeon with advanced techniques in hammertoe and forefoot correction, he's helped countless patients get out of pain and back into comfortable shoes.
His approach reflects a career-long commitment to conservative-first care, advanced surgical technique when it's needed, and treatment plans built around the individual patient — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Disclaimer: Individual results vary. Treatment recommendations depend on the flexibility and severity of the hammertoe, foot structure, overall health, activity level, and other medical factors. Dr. Berenter will determine the most appropriate treatment plan after a complete evaluation. — Jay S. Berenter, DPM, FACFAS
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes a hammertoe?
A hammertoe develops when the tendons and joint of a toe fall out of balance and the toe begins to bend at its middle joint. Contributing factors include foot mechanics, a longer second toe, prior injury, arthritis, and years in shoes that crowd the toes.
Can a hammertoe be fixed without surgery?
A flexible hammertoe — one you can still straighten with your hand — can often be managed without surgery using roomier footwear, padding, toe splints, and custom orthotics to address the underlying mechanics. Once the toe becomes rigid, non-surgical care can relieve pressure and pain but will not straighten the toe.
What does hammertoe surgery involve?
The goal is to rebalance the toe and restore its position — typically by releasing or lengthening tight structures and stabilizing the joint. It is usually an outpatient procedure. Dr. Berenter will explain exactly which correction your toe needs after examining it.
Will the hammertoe come back after surgery?
Correction is intended to be lasting. Recurrence is uncommon but possible, particularly if the mechanics that caused the toe to buckle are not addressed. That is why orthotics and footwear guidance are often part of the plan after surgery.