Bunions

Bunions. What is a bunion? A bunion is a protrusion of the big toe joint, where it is causing redness, and swelling, and uncomfortable in our shoe gear. Sometimes you can actually see the imprint in our shoe gear! What causes it? Many times, it’s hereditary. Somewhere along our family tree, whether it’s a parent or a grandparent, they had a bunion or have a bunion, and we have that gene and we have it also. Many times, it’s Arthritis. Arthritis attacks that big toe joint, several types of arthritis, not all, will attack the big toe joint and cause that joint to become protruded, causing pain and difficulty of walking. Another cause is people who wear improper shoe gear. I’ll just leave it at that. Whether they’re cheap, poorly made, or very flat, and then a lot of times women who wear very high heeled shoes, that’ll also cause you to get a bunion because you’ll put lots of pressure on that big toe joint, weaken that capsule, and have that bone to just become protruded. How you treat it? Start wearing sensible shoes that provide a lot of support in your arch that are well made and designed. However, if it’s hereditary or you have an arthritic condition, those are difficult to control. So, you would need to see a specialist if the bunion is actually interfering with your everyday life. So, when you see a specialist, they’ll take x-rays and give you different treatment options in order to address your issue. There is not a way, without surgery, to get rid of a bunion, period. We always get patients that come in and want to know if they can wear a special splint or pad and it’ll correct the bunion. No, it will not. It has to be addressed surgically. So, if you’re dealing with the bunion, please see a specialist and if you’re in our area, come see us here at Trinity Foot Center!