subject: New Lenox Podiatrist | Foot Doctor in New Lenox, IL [print this page] New Lenox Podiatrist | Foot Doctor in New Lenox, IL
True Care Foot and Ankle Institute services the SW Suburbs of Chicago, IL. We hope you get a lot out of this article.
Frequently Asked Question: What causes bunions?
Bunions are caused by what we call a Hypermobile First Ray. And what that means is that the first toe and the bone that the first toe is attached to, called the First Metatarsal, have a significant amount of motionmore excessive motion than a normal person's foot would have.
That excessive motion causes the forces from the ground to push the First Metatarsal up and out from the foot. This condition occurs over a number of many, many years. Those constant ground reactive forces working against the First Metatarsal and pushing it up and out case the toe, the big toe, which is attached to many ligaments and tendons, to be pulled to the outside of the body, where the First Metatarsal is being pulled to the inside.
With time, the joint between the big toe and the First Metatarsal becomes, actually, completely dislocated. Also, because of the constant pressure against the First Metatarsal, the bone in the head of the First Metatarsal actually builds a callous and becomes large quite a bit.
The bunion, however, is, in most cases, treatable with conservative measures that prevent these excessive ground reactive forces against the First Metatarsal. And the most common treatment for that is a functional orthotic. In some cases, the deformity becomes very bad, where surgical intervention is needed.
