How to Apply Kinesio Tape for Hammer Toe

A hammer toe is a toe that is abnormally hooked due to a bending of the second joint of the toe. The condition can be caused by wearing shoes that are too small, or it can be an inherited trait. There are a variety of ways to correct hammer toe either permanently through surgery or temporarily through the application of splints, special footwear or Kinesio Tape. The latter is an easy way to relieve the discomfort of a hammer toe in otherwise properly fitting shoes.

Things You'll Need

• Kinesio Tape
• Scissors

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Instructions

Cutting Tape, Wrapping, and Finishing

• 1

  Look at the hammer toe you intend to isolate and the toes on either side. Cut your Kinesio Tape into a strip roughly six inches long and wide enough to cover the majority of the length of the hammer toe you are going to wrap.

• 2

  Wrap the toe next to the hammer toe. Pass the strip under the hammer toe and over the toe on the opposite side. Use tension to force the hammer toe into it's proper position. Wrap the tape around the third toe and back under all three toes. In the case that the hammer toe is the big toe or little toe, simply wrap the toe to its neighbor in an "s" pattern.

• 3

  Use the remaining tape to make a full wrap of both or all three toes, bringing them into line with each other. Make additional wraps or cut excess tape with scissors. Be sure to wear footwear with ample length to allow the toes to maintain their proper position.