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What to look for
A bunion is painful enlargement of the joint at the base of the great toe. The bump occurs when the first metatarsal turns inward and the great toe turns outward causing the joint to become swollen and tender.
Causes
There is no single cause of bunion formation. Bunions can be inherited as a family trait or can result from an imbalance of the forces on the toe which cause a bunion to form over time. Other causes include:
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- too wide of an angle between the first and second metatarsal bones resulting in an overly-wide forefoot
- spreading of the forefoot with age
- improper shoe fit, especially in combination with flat feet
- high heel and pointed-toe shoes, while not a primary cause of a bunion, do cause more pain and earlier appearance of a bunion.
Treatment
Proper shoe fit is an important factor in treatment. The goal of non-surgical treatment is to relieve the pressure over the bunion caused by footwear. This may be accomplished by:
- relaxing the leather of the shoe over the bunion
- wearing shoes with a wider toe box
- wearing prescription shoes if the deformity is severe
If conservative treatment does not cause relief, surgery to realign and balance the great toe may be recommended. There are many different surgical procedures for the correction of bunions and the type performed depends on the severity of the condition. In most cases, surgery successfully relieves the painful symptoms. However, some joint stiffness, numbness or deformity can occur after surgery.
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