While many experts agree that people are born with a foot type that makes them more susceptible to bunions, these deformities most likely develop or become aggravated when feet are forced into narrow or pointed-toe shoes. This causes the big toe to push against the other toes, causing the base of the toe to jut out away from the foot. People who have low arches, flat feet, and loose joints and tendons are at increased risk for developing bunions. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, high heels can particularly aggravate bunions because they force the body’s weight to be unevenly distributed on the foot, pushing weight forward into the toes, and forcing toes into the front of the shoe. This may help explain why bunions are 10 times more common in women than in men.
Why Does My Bunion Need Medical Treatment?
The MTP joint that becomes deformed with a bunion helps us bear and distribute weight during a range of activities, meaning that a bunion can seriously impair the foot’s functioning: it can damage other toes, causing corns or leading to the formation of hammertoes. Bunions can cause ingrown toenails or lead to calluses on the bottoms of the feet, and you may develop pain in the balls of your feet from improperly shifting weight away from the affected joint. As the condition progresses, exercise and physical activities may become difficult, and even walking can become painful.
How Can I Deal with Bunions?
Most bunions, especially those caught early, can be managed with conservative treatment measures, although they can only be “cured” with a surgical procedure. Harvard Health Publications has outlined treatment options for managing bunions:
Wear Proper Footwear
One of the first things you can do to care for your bunion is to wear proper footwear, which will relieve pressure from the joint. This means that you’ll have to ditch your pointed-toe stilettos in favor of shoes that have a wide sole to support the foot, with enough room in the toe box (the part of the shoe that encases the toes at the front of the foot) to fit your foot without putting pressure on the bunion. Among the shoes to consider, try sandals, sneakers and shoes made of materials that will stretch to alleviate pressure on the bunion. If you have narrow shoes that are made of a material like leather, commercial or homemade shoe stretchers can reshape the shoe to add space to the toe box. For an easy DIY solution, you can fill Ziploc bags with water, fit them in the shoes and place in the freezer. As the water expands with freezing, it will stretch the toe box and allow your foot more room. Heels should be eliminated or kept to a minimum (with a maximum height of one inch).
Protect the Bunion
Even after you’ve committed to wearing the right kind of footwear, your bunion may still be sore. Protect a bunion by wearing pads made of moleskin, available at any drugstore. Your doctor may recommend wearing padded shoe inserts, called orthoses, that will correct your foot position as you walk. Wearing a splint can help keep your toe straight and ease pain and discomfort.
Treat the Bunion
When your bunion becomes inflamed, you can use several home remedies to ease pain and discomfort. Use warm soaks, ice packs and non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen to ease pain and irritation. There are options for alternative treatments, like whirlpools, ultrasound and massage to provide temporary relief. As a last resort, cortisone injections may be recommended, although this treatment may have side effects, particularly when used on a regular basis or at a high dose.
Surgery Is Sometimes the Best Option
If you failed to get treatment for an advanced bunion or if the above-outlined options still leave you with pain that interferes with daily activities, your doctor may advise foot surgery for treatment to realign the joint and restore your toe’s normal position. Bunion surgery is not to be taken lightly and shouldn’t be undertaken only for cosmetic reasons. The surgery may not alleviate all symptoms, and the procedure will require staying off your foot for six weeks to three months. Complete recovery can take a year or more, depending on the procedure.
The aim of these procedures is to realign the joint and correct the ligaments, tendons and nerves to restore normal foot function in cases of severe bunions. There are more than 100 types of procedures used to correct bunions, and the type of procedure that will be recommended will be determined in large part by how serious the bunion has become.
Early Treatment Is the Best Treatment
Bunions that are detected and treated early can be managed with much more conservative measures and with much less severe long-term damage. As such, even if you detect your bunion when it’s still mild and opt for home remedies, it’s still important to make an appointment with a podiatrist for a proper diagnosis. Your doctor can help make specific treatment recommendations that will help ease symptoms and prevent the bunion from progressing.