What causes bunions?
Bunions are bony bumps that develop over your big toe joint. In most cases, bunions form gradually over years of wearing pointy or snug-fitting shoes that continuously push your big toe into your second toe. While women more commonly develop bunions, often because of tighter footwear and high heels, you can also develop bunions because of:
- Personal foot shape
- Birth defects
- A family history of bunions
- Chronic inflammatory conditions, like arthritis
Sometimes bunions are even linked to weakened toe joints from foot injuries or trauma.
Do bunions cause symptoms?
Not always, but they can certainly cause pain and discomfort. While the large visible bump is one obvious sign, you may also experience:
- Tenderness or inflammation
- Callus or corn over the bump
- Hardened skin along your sole
Many bunion sufferers even notice a decrease in foot flexibility or range of motion, which can make walking difficult or painful. Since bunions can keep getting worse, it’s always best to seek medical treatment, even if your bunion doesn’t seem to be bothering you — it probably will at some point. You can even have all of these issues in your little toe, although in this case, it’s called a bunionette.
How are bunions treated?
Your dedicated podiatrist at Hoosier Foot & Ankle puts together a bunion treatment and pain management plan, based on your symptoms and lifestyle. Common bunion solutions include:
- Custom orthotics
- Padding, splinting or taping
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Shoes with plenty of toe space
- Physical therapy or specialized stretching exercises
If these conservative measures aren’t helping your bunion pain, or if discomfort is getting worse, it could be time to consider surgery. Bunion surgery usually involves removing scar tissue and straightening your big toe.
Sometimes correcting your joint requires removing a small part of the bone or permanently fusing your bones together, too. No matter which solution is best for you, even if you don’t need surgery, rest assured, the compassionate team at Hoosier Foot & Ankle strives to find you an effective bunion treatment.
See what the team at Hoosier Foot & Ankle can do to improve your bunion discomfort. Click on the online scheduling feature to book an appointment, or call any of the five office locations.
