Please Doc, Treat My Bunion

Bunions - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

To help you understand how the Foot, Ankle & Leg Specialists at South Florida Institute of Sports Medicine diagnose and treat them, we are going to start by going over the causes and symptoms of these uncomfortable foot deformities.

What is a Bunion?

Photo of a Bunion

A bunion is a "bone deformity caused by an enlargement of the joint at the base and side of the big toe."¹

The medical term for a bunion is Hallux Valgus. "Hallux" refers to your big toe, and "Valgus" is defined as a deformity involving a displacement away from the midline. Put together, your big toe is out of place.

Over time, this displacement will cause the big toe to angle in toward the other toes. Sometimes it will overlap them. Other times, it will rotate or twist. Every time, it's uncomfortable.

What Causes Bunions?

Illustration of bone deformity that causes a bunion.

If your parents or grandparents had bunions, you are likely to get them. Bunions themselves are not hereditary, but they are most commonly caused by a faulty foot structure that may be passed down from your parents or grandparents. 

Wearing tight shoes, foot injuries, neuromuscular problems, or structural foot issues like flat feet and pronated feet can also increase the likelihood of bunions - especially in those people who are predisposed to developing them. 

What are Usual Symptoms of Bunions?

If you have a bunion, you know right away that the main symptom is the discomfort and pain that comes from your bunion rubbing against your shoes. If one of your grandparents told you they wore those ugly shoes because of a bunion, now you know why.

As a bunion gets bigger, it gets more and more painful to walk. Over time, bursitis may occur or arthritis may develop in the area as cartilage wears down.

What Treatments are Available?

Unfortunately, bunions will not correct themselves. If you wait to see a specialist, you are just making it more unlikely that some less drastic treatment methods will fix the bunion.

The goal of any treatment is first, to relieve the pressure and pain caused by the irritation, and second to stop any further growth of the enlargement. Early treatments include protective padding (to eliminate friction), removal of corns or calluses on the foot, changing to those shoes your grandparents wore to accommodate your bunion, orthotic devices to help stabilize the joint, splints, and mobility exercises. 

When these options don't work, you are looking at a surgical correction. Here is what that might look like:

Surgical correction will then require rest for around 3-4 days. You will wear a special shoe or boot for 4-6 weeks, then usually return to athletic shoes by 6 weeks, and dress shoes usually by 12 weeks.

Thankfully, dramatic improvements in bunion surgery techniques means you should experience no long lasting effects from your surgery. You will be able to resume athletic activities, wear your favorite shoes (high heels included), and should not see a recurrence of your bunion. The doctors at Foot, Ankle & Leg Specialists of South Florida have performed thousands of successful bunion surgeries and are up to date on the most recent advances, including hidden minimal incision bunion surgeries (as seen below).

Example before and after of a hidden minimal incision bunion surgery patient.

What Now?

If you are tired of the pain caused by a bunion, you are only making it worse by not having it seen by an experienced professional. It is time to get it checked out by the Foot, Ankle & Leg Specialists of South Florida. 

Go to our website, at SouthFloridaSportsMedicine.com and use the online scheduler to make your appointment at any of our three convenient locations in Broward. Our job is to get you back to your best. See you soon!

Check out more pre and post operative images of our patients at: http://www.southfloridasportsmedicine.com/bunion-pre-and-post-pictures.html

Footnotes:
1. http://www.southfloridasportsmedicine.com/bunions.html