A bunion
is an enlargement of the bone or
tissue around the joint at the base
of the big toe.
The big toe may turn toward the
second toe, and the tissue
surrounding the joint may be swollen
and tender.
You may first see a bunion as
noticed a bump on your big toe joint
and your big toe may also be
painful.
A bunion on your little toe, it
is called a bunionette. A cute name,
yes, but a painful condition
nonetheless.
Signs and
symptoms of bunions are a sore foot
or feet; painful when walking, or a
swollen, reddened area where the big
toe connects to the foot and
difficulty wearing shoes.
There are two
general causes of bunions. Wearing
tight, narrow, or high heeled shoes
and hereditary factors, bunions
normally run in the family, are two
common causes of bunions.
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Foot problems
such as bunions typically occur in
early adulthood. They can get worse
as the foot spreads with aging. As
stated, for many people, bunions run
in the family. They may be just one
of several problems due to weak or
poor foot structure. Bunions
sometimes develop with arthritis.
In people with leg length
discrepancies, bunions can form in
the longer leg.
The choice of
bunion treatment depends on the age
of the patient and the level of pain
the patient is in. The most
effective treatment for bunions in
adolescents is to buy wider shoes.
If an adolescent undergoes surgery,
there is a high likelihood that the
bunions will return in adulthood.
The most
effective treatment for adults is
very similar to adolescents such as
wearing wider and flatter shoes and
to use a cushioned pad to make the
area where the bunion is most
painful more comfortable. If the
patient is still experiencing a
great deal of pain even after
wearing the wider shoes and
cushioned pad then surgery might be
the next option.
Bunion surgery
will straighten out the big toe,
ligaments and tendons so that the
big toe is pointing forward. The
recovery time from surgery to remove
a bunion is six to eight weeks. Foot
exercises and physical therapy are
recommended after bunion surgery.
A bunion can certainly be
a painful foot condition. But your
family physician or your podiatrist
can help.
