Claw Toe

A claw toe is a deformity of the toe that is due to a soft tissue (musculature) imbalance. Claw toes most often present with a callus and/or pain at the ball of the foot, and on top of the toe at the most proximal joint.  The imbalances that cause this physical change in shape of the toe are extension at the metatarsophalangeal joint, flexion at the proximal phalangeal joint and flexion at the distal phalangeal joint. Normally, in healthy toes, there should be no extension or flexion at any toe joint during relaxation. However, in the claw toe, these series of musculature contractures are seen due to underlying pedal or bodily pathologies. These pathologies can include, but are certainly not limited to severe flat foot deformity (pes planus), excessive pronation, trauma to the foot, diabetes mellitus, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy and more. 

If you think you have a claw toe(s), or suffer from any of the aforementioned diseases you should have your feet checked out by a podiatrist. Dr. Michael Garvin of Port St. Lucie, Florida has been practicing for years and has great experience at treating claw toes and many other pedal pathologies. His aim is always to treat the underlying cause of foot pain with minimally invasive techniques. Visit Dr. Garvin’s website for more information regarding his practice and treatment options.

The Significance of Biomechanics

Biomechanics and a patient's foot health have a strong correlation. Biomechanics can be defined as the science of internal and external forces and their affect on the human body. An example of an internal force would be an individual's body weight. An example of an external force would be the ground's forces upwards on the foot during an individual's gait. 

 

Biomechanics have a strong correlation with an individual’s foot health because these aforementioned forces must be compensated for, so that the human foot properly adapts to this energy. If the foot is not able to adapt to these forces and improperly absorbs the energy created from gait, many pathological manifestations can occur. To name a few of the possible conditions derived from improper biomechanics: plantar fasciitis, shin splints, bunions, hammer toes, stress fractures, claw toes, and the list goes on. 

 

If you are experiencing pain during walking, running, jumping etc.. and think you may have any irregularities in your biomechanical processes, please contact one of Dr. Michael Garvin’s offices in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Dr. Garvin has been analyzing patients biomechanics for many years and always seeks to treat and correct the underlying causes of pain. To obtain further information regarding your biomechanics and foot health please visit his website!


*This schematic depicts forces applied to the human skeleton that are experienced during normal walking.