Normal Foot
Originally from the East Anglican word "bunny," the word "bunion" means "swelling." Also called "hallux valgus," it describes a protrusion at the base of the big toe. Bunions are nine to ten times more frequent in women than in men. Because our big toe joint helps to bear and distribute weight during most activities, it is important to know slow bunion development, control the pain, and decide when to opt for surgery.
Causes
Tight pointed-toed shoes and high heels are major causes of bunions. Indeed, in a narrow toe box, the big toe pushes against the other toes, often ending up above or below them. This forces the base of the big toe outward, away from the other toe bases. Other contributing factors include: heredity, severe flatfoot deformity, chronic tightness of the Achilles tendon, weak feet, muscle imbalance, and rheumatoid arthritis. A bump may also develop on the joint of your fifth toe, causing a "Tailor's bunion," or "bunionette."
Self-Care
The most important step is to start wearing the right kind of shoes. Boxed street shoes, athletic shoes, soft leather shoes, and sandals are usually good choices. This is because, in order to relieve pressure on the bunion, your shoes must support your feet well and give your big toe joint enough room to flex. Also, the part of the shoe that surrounds the heel should tightly hold that heel in place. You may consider taking your shoes to a store or to a podiatrist to have them stretched.
You may also use bunion shield pads or toe separators on bunions. However, make sure that your shoes are large enough to comfortably contain the extra padding. Moleskin or gel-filled pads can help take pressure off different areas of bunion-affected toes.
Other measures include the use of orthotics to help position your feet properly as you hit the ground when you walk. Bunion splints can be worn at night to help keep the deformed toe straight. Bunion slings, which are usually softer, are worn with normal footwear.
A bunion bump that grows larger can lead to an inflammation of the fluid-filled sac around the bone. The body's response is normally to cover the bump and the bone with a callus of hard protective tissue. Warm soaks, ice packs or pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen, are often recommended for painful bunions. If you use ice packs to reduce inflammation, perform a stroking massage of your bunion in the direction towards the body, to encourage blood flow to the heart. Vaseline and a small amount of lamb's wool in your shoes can help with friction blisters.
Surgical Treatment
Self-care measures can fail. If the pain begins to interfere with daily activities, or if you have an underlying deformity, you may require a bunionectomy, or surgical removal of your bunion. Numerous surgical techniques exist, based on the severity of a bunion. Their purpose is to remove the bunion bump, straighten the toe, and reduce pain to a minimum.
Tags: your shoes, bunion bump, your bunion, your feet