subject: Treating And Preventing Bunions [print this page] Bunions are one of the most common conditions that can affect your feet. If you or someone you know has ever experienced this affliction, you know how painful and inconvenient it can be. A bunion is a bony protuberance on the joint at the base of your big toe that is caused by a misalignment of your big toe joint. Bunions should be treated early on once they become apparent so that they do not get worse. If left untreated, a bunion can reach the point where they require surgery to fully repair.
What Causes Bunions?
Bunions occur when there is unnatural pressure on your joints and tendons in your feet. This leads to your big toe joint becoming unstable and your big toe angling towards the rest of your toes. Some common causes of this include:
*High heeled shoes. High heels put a great deal of pressure on your toes. This is one of the main reasons why bunions are more common in women than in men.
*Foot injuries. An injury to your foot can help contribute to an uneven distribution of weight in your feet and help cause a bunion to form.
*Inherited foot type. Although bunions themselves are not passed on genetically, your inherited foot type from your parents may make you more likely to develop one in the future.
How Are Bunions Treated?
Depending on how severe your bunion is, there are a few different methods that your podiatrist in Cumming will be able to use to treat it. Here are some of the most common ways to treat bunions:
*Changing shoes. The easiest and most common way to treat symptoms of a bunion is simply to change the shoes you wear. If your shoes are too tight and causing you pain, you need to find a new pair of shoes or else the pain will continue and will probably get worse over time.
*Painkilling medication. Using over the counter pain medications like ibuprofen and Aspirin can help to reduce your pain and make your bunion more manageable.
*Shoe inserts. Padded shoe inserts can dull your pain and help your foot more evenly distribute weight. This will prevent your bunion from getting any worse.
*Surgery. If your bunion becomes severe and more conservative options do not work to reverse its affects, a surgical option may be the only option to effectively treat your bunion. There are a variety of different surgical procedures available. Most include a bunionectomy, a procedure that removes part of your bone and realigns your toe so that it becomes straight again. Generally bunion surgery requires some recovery time. Because of this, it is generally used as a last resort when all other conservative methods have failed.
To learn more about bunions or to schedule an appointment, contact your podiatrist in Cumming today.
