Redwood Orthopaedic Surgery Associates | Santa Rosa, CA

How to correct bunions

woman's hand massaging her bunion toes in bare feet to relieve painBunions are more common than you may think. These cause painful deformities in the feet, but there is something you can do about them. Read on to learn more about this common yet painful condition.

When your big toe pushes against the next toe, it forces the joint of the big toe to become enlarged and visibly stick out. This causes swelling and pain around the big toe joint, corns or calluses where the first two toes overlap, restricted movement and persistent or intermittent pain.

A bunion is caused from genetics, congenital abnormalities or foot injuries. Arthritis is also associated with bunions. Some people think high-heeled shoes or other tight shoes may be a cause, but while they can complicate a bunion, it isn’t clear that they cause a bunion to form.

Treatment for bunions depend on the severity of the condition. Your doctor will begin with conservative treatments such as shoes that aren’t too tight, padding the joints and taping the foot into a normal position, pain medications and corticosteroid injections, padded inserts or orthotic devices, even icing to reduce inflammation.

If these conservative methods don’t work or you have frequent or chronic pain that impairs daily activities, then you may be a candidate for surgery to correct the bunion. Bunion surgery is typically outpatient surgery done under local anesthesia. Surgery may consist of removing part of the bone to straighten the big toe, removing the swollen tissue around the big toe joint, realigning the bone between the back of the foot and big toe to get rid of the abnormal joint angle, or fusing the bones of the joint.

Depending on the technique used, some people may be able to walk on their foot immediately after surgery, while others will have to use crutches or a cane or stay off their feet for a few weeks to recover. Orthotics are often indicated for use after bunion surgery to maintain results and stability.

If you have bunions, you don’t need to suffer from them unnecessarily. See your doctor to see what conservative measures can be taken or if you need surgery to provide you the relief you need. Call us today at 707.544.3400 to make an appointment.

Posted in: Bunion

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