Sunday 5 May 2013

So what are Bunions exactly?



Bunions are a foot disfigurement portrayed by deviance of the bones nearby the big toe joint of the foot. What results is a large lump on the inside of your foot and can cause your big toe to lean towards the smaller toes. Bunions are a common problem for women, often attributed to wearing tighter footwear such as heels. This piece of writing will cover what are bunions, what are bunions caused by, and what Bunion treatments are available.
What are Bunions?
**See the large deformity on the big-toe joint
There are many different causes of Bunions and each patients cause will be different. Commonplace causes for bunions include toe shock, genetic disposition, bad bio-mechanics in your feet or bad choices of footwear like high heels. The theory is that continual pressure on the big toe joint causes slight movement on the big toe joint and bones. This causes surrounding tissues to thicken and changes the action of the muscles. This can lead to a small degree of arthritis which builds up over a period of time.

People with Bunions visit Podiatrists usually after noticing the change in appearance of their toe joint and with the irritation. Pain and general soreness of the joint alerts people to visit a Podiatrist in order to get Bunion treatment. Bunions can be aggravated during exercise as it is hard to fit your feet into shoes when the Bunion are growing larger.

Bunions are diagnosed by a Podiatrist by assessing clinical history and conducting a thorough inspection. Most Podiatrists will call for the foot to be X-Ray'ed in order to establish the degree of damage that has been caused to the joint. This will allow your Podiatrist to asses the best possible treatment plan for your bunions.

Sometime the best form of treatment is wearing suitable shoes. This is an important step and can significantly reduce stress on a minor deformity and help the bunion from getting worse. Shoes should have ample cushion and arch support. As well as the forefoot needs to be able to easily fit within the shoe width. You can reduce irritation further by wearing shoes made out of soft materials like leather, fabric or suede.

Your Podiatrist plays an important role in bunion treatments of patients. They are able to discuss with patients a number of options to patients to help reduce pains and counter the deformation of your feet. They can also treat bunions where the skin has changed in the surrounding areas.

Other Bunions Links
www.medicinenet.com/bunions/article.htm‎
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunion

Bunions in some cases are treated with Orthotics. Bunion Orthotics can be made custom for the individual patent, in order to help reduce stress and pressure and aim to improve bio-mechanical function. Bunion Orthotics can be used with bunion splints or additional cushioning in order to reduce pressure.
Bunions can also be treated by Surgery. This comprises surgically modifying the bunion to reduce the appearance of deformity. There are many different surgical methods, but depending on the damage to the joint, will greatly affect the results of the surgery. Surgery is performed by a Podiatric Surgeon and even if successful, around 30% of patients still say they have difficulties with bunions.


We have talked a lot about what are Bunions. They are a very common problem and can be helped dramatically by a simple change of footwear habit. The bunion pains and general discomfort that people experience can be quite annoying. Podiatrists are able to provide advice with Bunion treatment and many patients get relief from custom orthotics for Bunions. Prevention is the best treatment for bunions as unfortunately they can reoccur.