{"id":137,"date":"2024-03-19T15:34:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T15:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/docs\/podiatry\/foot-problems-65\/deformities-135\/bunions\/"},"modified":"2024-03-27T16:48:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T16:48:14","slug":"bunions-137","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/?docs=podiatry\/foot-problems-65\/deformities-135\/bunions-137","title":{"rendered":"Bunions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A bunion (technically known as hallux valgus) is a bony deformity, or swelling, of the joint at the base of the big toe. The main sign of a bunion is that the big toe points towards the second toe on the same foot, which usually forces the foot bone attached to it to stick outwards. Often red in appearance, a bunion can be, and often is, painful.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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What causes bunions?<\/h2>\n

The short answer is: nobody knows. Some think that high heels or tight fitting shoes can cause them, but they are also found in societies where shoes aren\u2019t worn. Others think that, as bunions can run in families, genetics could play a factor. But, even if this is the case, there is no \u2018gene for bunions\u2019 \u2013 it is more likely that abnormal skeletal biomechanics are inherited, which then lead to the formation of bunions. Of course, tight fitting shoes won\u2019t help the situation \u2013 they are very likely to make the condition worse.<\/p>\n

Prevention<\/h2>\n

If bunions have a genetic cause, you\u2019ll either be predisposed to them or you won\u2019t. You can\u2019t (yet!) change your genetic make-up on demand. However, if you suspect that you might be prone to them, there are things you can do to \u2018discourage\u2019 them \u2013 to slow their formation. These are to do with footwear \u2013 make sure you wear shoes with a broad toe box (area at the front of the shoe) to comfortably accommodate the toes, and wear high heels sparingly if at all.<\/p>\n

Treatment \u2013 non-surgical<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re unlucky enough to develop a bunion, you\u2019ll need to treat it. Treatments fall into two main categories: surgical and non surgical. You should always try the non-surgical options first. These are:<\/p>\n

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  • Change your footwear<\/em>. Wearing the right kind of shoes is very important. Choose shoes that have a wide toe box, and which are flat or low heeled. If you wear leather make sure that the material is soft. High heels, and shoes with pointed toes, should be avoided.<\/li>\n
  • Avoid certain activities.<\/em>\u00a0Try to avoid activities, such as prolonged standing, that exacerbate the condition.<\/li>\n
  • Orthotics<\/em>. These are special shoe inserts that reduce bunion pain by decreasing the pressure on it. Orthotics can be bought over the counter or be custom made. Your GP will advise you as to the most suitable solution for you.<\/li>\n
  • Icing<\/em>. The application of an ice pack several times a day can help reduce inflammation and pain.<\/li>\n
  • Padding<\/em>. Pads placed over a bunion will help to prevent it from rubbing against the shoe, thus minimising the pressure on it.<\/li>\n
  • Medication<\/em>. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, and pain killers such as paracetamol may help to reduce pain and inflammation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Note that, although non-surgical treatments provide symptomatic relief (pain relief), they won\u2019t improve the appearance of your foot.<\/p>\n

    Treatment \u2013 surgical<\/h2>\n

    In some cases, surgery may be indicated. This can include anything from removing portions of bone and fusing joints, to creating completely new joints.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A bunion (technically known as hallux valgus) is a bony deformity, or swelling, of the joint at the base of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":135,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"doc_tag":[],"doc_badge":[],"class_list":["post-137","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/137\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_tag&post=137"},{"taxonomy":"doc_badge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raymondnash.com\/patient-education\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_badge&post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}