Treatment

If your toe is still flexible, your doctor might recommend that you change to roomier, more comfortable footwear and that you wear shoe inserts (orthotics) or pads. Inserts or pads can reposition your toe and relieve pressure and pain.

In addition, your doctor might suggest exercises — such as picking up marbles or crumpling a towel with your toes — to stretch and strengthen your toe muscles.

If conservative treatments don't help, your doctor might recommend surgery to release the tendon that's preventing your toe from lying flat. In some cases, the surgeon also might remove a piece of bone to straighten your toe.