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Plantar Fasciitis
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rehabilitation
Biomechanics
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iliotibial band syndrome
Common Conditions
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bunions
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Health & Prevention
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orthotic foot supports
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Bunions
“Bunion” is a term used to describe a swelling,
inflammation and/or bony enlargement involving the big toe
joint. There are several types and severity of bunions and
they have many causes.
Pressure from ill-fitting shoes may aggravate the condition
and make the bunion more painful. As bunions develop, the
foot spreads out with increasing shoe pressure over the first
toe joint ("Bunions") and the fifth toe joint ("Tailor's
bunion, bunionette").
Footsprings™
available from FootGuru prevent this expansion of the forefoot,
which may relieve painful bunions.
Causes of Bunions
- Myth. Shoes cause bunions.
- Heredity. Some family members have
an inherited structural imbalance which develops into
a bunion deformity. Foot types, as well as body types,
are inherited. A long first toe is subject to greater
shoe pressure.
- Structure. The bones have developed
abnormally in shape and/or alignment.
- Biomechanical Alignment. Imbalance
in the foot and the way it functions (abnormal pronation).
This causes excessive mobility, friction and progressive
deformity. Ill-fitting shoes and stretch hose aggravate
the problem.
- Metabolic. Arthritis may damage the
great toe joint.
- Trauma. Any injury to the great toe
joint which produces an imbalance around the joint.
Evaluation & Treatment
History: Your doctor will
record a detailed account of your problems with the bunion
deformity.
Examination: Your doctor
will perform a clinical examination of your bunion deformity
in gait and non-weightbearing.
X-Rays: In order to complete
the information necessary to evaluate your bunion deformity,
x-rays are taken. The doctor then takes measurements to
determine the optimum corrective procedure. It is important
that these are weight-bearing x-rays to evaluate the joint
positions in stance.
When your doctor has obtained all the necessary information,
a treatment plan will be designed to correct your individual
deformity and needs. This treatment may be conservative,
biomechanical and/or surgical depending on your particular
bunion, medical history and lifestyle (sports, work, shoes,
etc.). Alternatives to corrective surgery include use of
foot balancing (orthotic) devices, use of anti-inflammatory
medications or special shoes. All of these can help relieve
pain and pressure but do not correct the underlying cause
of the bunion.
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FootGuru's Solution
Footsprings™
help relieve pain caused by bunions
with Footspring™
with out Footspring™
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Surgical correction of bunions is usually performed as an out-patient
procedure in the hospital under local anesthesia with intravenous
sedation provided by an anesthesiologist. Most post surgical bunionectomies
do not require casting or complete bed rest. You will be required
to wear a post surgical shoe that does not bend for a period of
time depending on the procedure performed and the recommendations
of your surgeon.
Types of Bunions:
Positional Bunion: The big toe drifts outward
toward the second toe. This in turn pushes the first metatarsal
out of alignment causing the head of the metatarsal bone to press
against the shoe. This shoe pressure causes inflammation with bony
growth and skin irritation. A positional bunion can usually be relieved
by removal of the enlargement of protruding bone and balancing of
tendons and ligaments.
Structural Bunion: Structural bunions occur when
there is widening between the first and second metatarsal bones
with big toe mal-alignment and bony adaptation to the mal-aligned
joint position. Most structural bunions require an osteotomy (controlled
fracture) to re-align the joint for proper function.
Arthritic First Toe Joint: An inflamed first toe
joint may be caused by trauma or disease (e.g., osteoarthritis,
gout, rheumatoid arthritis).
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