Do you have problems with the joint that connects to your big toe? If this area has a sore bump or is swollen then you may have a bunion. And if you are a woman then you most certainly would not be alone. In fact, statistics show that over half of all women in America suffer from bunions. The reason for this is that women often wear tight and narrow fitting shoes like high heals, and it is these shoes that cause your toes to get literally bent out of shape. Furthermore, research has shown that this deformity can also occur genetically from one family member to another, but this is rare.
And when you look at the reports you would see that nine out of every ten bunions happen to women, as well as the fact that nine out of ten women wear shoes that are too small for them. Furthermore, it has been proven that shoes that are too tight can also cause other problems like corns, calluses, and even hammertoes.
When you have a bunion you will notice that your metatarsophalangeal, or better known as big toe, will be larger than normal and stick out more. Furthermore, you may notice that the skin on the area is red and very tender. And by this point no matter what kind of shoe you wear it will be painful as your joint flexes each time you take a step. What’s more, as your bunion grows you will find that there is a lot more pain associated with it, and bursitis may then set in. Bursitis is when your big toe gets angled towards the next toe in line, and in some cases it will twist until it is under it.
But besides these symptoms you will also notice that the skin under your toe will become thick and painful as added pressure from your metatarsophalaneal joint will force your second toe out of alignment. And like dominoes it can go on down the line if left untreated as well as look quite bad. But perhaps the worse case scenario is that you will be unable to walk without severe pain, and that pain can turn chronic as well as develop arthritis if all left unchecked.
And although the best treatment for a bunion is prevention, there are some cases where surgery is needed. But let’s stay in prevention. In order to cut down your chances of getting a bunion there are a few steps you can take.
Bunion Prevention
• Do not wear shoes that are too small, or in other words, do not force it
• Purchase shoes that fit with your feet not against them
• Shoes with wide insteps are best as well as a wide space for your toes
• Choose shoes with soft soles
• Stay away from shoes that are short, sharply pointed or tight, and that have a heal higher than 2 ¼ inches
However, if you already have a bunion then you will want to wear only shoes that are very roomy so that there is no pressure being put on your deformity as it should help with a great deal of the pain. Furthermore, a good treatment would be to purchase pads specially designed for this purpose so that it cushions the painful area. But if your bunion does get bad enough where you are no longer able to walk or wear any kind of shoe then you may need surgery. What this surgery does for you is line back up your bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves so that the big toe can be put back in the proper position which is straight ahead. Furthermore, you will find that your orthopedic surgeon will have many ways to help ease your pain after surgery. Once the surgery is finished you can expect a very long recovery period of at least three months and a lot of pain for quite some time including swelling and stiffness.