Bunions

20 Nov Bunions

Bunions are one of the most common conditions we see as a Podiatrist’s.

What exactly is a bunion? Bunions are NOT an extra growth of bone out the side of your big toe joint like most people think. It is actually when the bones themselves around the big toe joint have slowly dislocated or subluxed over time causing a prominence. 

Sometimes people will get pain in the actual big toe joint itself but not always. A lot of the time bunions actually cause pain on the balls of the foot, toes or achilles tendon. They can even put extra pressure on our toenails causing ingrown toenails and corns.  These are all a consequence of bunions and usually, only get worse over time. Because the Bunion has changed the shape of the forefoot you are now not functioning correctly.

How do you fix this? Everyone is different so a detailed individual assessment is recommended to organise a bunion management plan. Treatment options include:

• Strengthening and stretching exercises
• Wide fitting and appropriate footwear
• Orthoses and/or ortho-mechanical support
• General Podiatry treatment for management of corns, callus and nails.

If you would like an opinion on your Bunion joints and how best to manage and prevent them from getting worse then book an appointment with us today. We are very passionate about providing efficient and effective foot care. 

Laura, Podiatrist, The Foot Studio