subject: Bunions And Hammertoes- Avoid These Painful Bumps [print this page] Do you have deformities in your feet that cause you to hide them in closed toed shoes? You no longer need to be embarrassed of unsightly growths or bumps. With proper treatment and diagnosis, you can live without painful foot deformities such as hammertoes, and bunions.
Bunions and hammertoes are most commonly treated by conservative means, involving such methods as shoe modification, padding and orthotics.
What are Bunions and How are they Caused?
A bunion is an abnormal enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe that forms when the bone or tissue of this joint is misaligned. As a result, the toe is forced to crowd the other toes, causing pain and discomfort. Left untreated, walking and other daily activities can trigger extreme pain. A bunion can also change the shape of your foot, making it difficult to find shoes that fit properly.
Bunions can be most often caused by a faulty mechanical structure of your foot that is inherited. The bunion itself is not inherited, but the type of foot you have is, which then makes a person more prone to developing a bunion. Wearing shoes that crowd your toes may not actually cause bunions, but it may sometimes the reason that your deformity develops into worse symptoms.
What is a Hammertoe?
Hammertoes are painful bone contractures of the toes and may be individual or they may be present on all eight lesser toes. Contractures may exist at either or both joints within the toes, which may also be arthritis. Additionally, there may also be side contractures where a toe may be rotated beneath an adjacent toe. Hammertoes may also often be associated with the development of bunions.
Pain attributed to hammertoes can vary with the location, duration, shoe style, amount of activity and pain tolerance. The pain is frequently associated with a corn and although it is painful, it may not be the main cause of the problem. If the corn is trimmed, pain may lessen or stop temporarily. Although trimming alleviates the pain, it will not completely cure it. A corn will continue to develop until further treatment is sought from your podiatrist.
Bring Relief to your Aching Feet
Early treatment is aimed at easing the pain of your bunion or hammertoe, but they will not reverse the deformity itself. Conservative treatments include:
*Changes in shoe wear
*Padding
*Activity modification
*Medications
*Icing
*Orthotic devices
*Other therapies offered at your Boca Raton and Margate podiatrist's office
If non-surgical treatments fail to relieve bunion or hammertoe pain you may require surgery. A variety of surgical procedures are available to treat bunions.
The best choice for curing your bunion, or hammertoe is to consult your Boca Raton podiatrist. With proper consultation and examination, your podiatrist will recommend the best form of treatment for your foot ailments. Remember, with every foot condition there may be a different procedure that would best suit your needs.
