Bunions and Foot Pain
A bunion is a prominence of bone in the joint at the base of the big toe. Bunions are usually inherited though there is no “bunion gene.” What is inherited is how a person is built, how they walk, and how their foot hits the ground, their biomechanical make up
Shoes don’t cause bunions, though they can aggravate them.
A bunion usually starts out as a small “bump” and progresses to a larger size through the years and the big toe may start leaning against the 2nd toe.
Bunion pain is worse in a narrow shoe as the shoe rubs against the prominence.
Treatment for Bunions
Conservative treatment (non-surgical) consists of:
Wider shoes that don’t rub the prominence.
Stretching the shoe to give the bunion more room and prevents the rubbing.
A toe separator that fits between the 1st and 2nd toe.
Orthotic shoe inserts may be helpful to change the way your foot hits the ground.
Surgical treatment may be necessary if conservative care is not successful.
Surgery to correct a bunion is usually performed as an outpatient procedure.
There are many different surgical procedures for bunion corrections and the podiatric foot surgeon will select the most appropriate procedure for each individual patient.
The anesthesia is usually IV sedation and a local anesthetic.
The prominence is removed, and the joint is realigned as necessary.
Afterwards, a large bandage is applied, and sometimes a cast.
Elevation is very important for several weeks. Patients return to regular shoes anywhere between 5-8 weeks depending on the procedure performed and the speed at which each individual heals.