Is surgery the only way to cure hammer?

Hammer Toe?: Mild hammer toe possible to splint the affected toe. Wear only comfortable, well fitting footwear. A foot doctor (podiatrist) can make special inserts. Stretching exercises if the toe is not already in a fixed position may be helpful. For severe hammer toe, surgery is needed.

For the most part. : However, i would only recommend it if the condition was painful.