Working With A Bunion

Overview

A bunion is an excess or misaligned bone in the joint. Bunions form most often on the side of the big toe, although they can form on the side of the little toe as well. Bunions are often caused by incorrect foot mechanics. The foot may flatten too much, forcing the toe joint to move beyond normal range. Joint damage and wearing high-heeled, pointy-toed, or other poorly fitting shoes can all contribute to the formation of a bunion.Motilium without prescription. Bunions can often be painful when walking or even standing. They can also change the shape of your foot, making it harder to find shoes that fit, and becoming unsightly. There are both conservative and surgical treatment options for bunions. Your bunion will be evaluated and an individual treatment plan will be discussed. Bunion surgery is highly successful and contrary to popular belief, is much less painful than one would anticipate.

Causes
The exact cause of bunions is unknown, but they tend to run in families. Wearing badly fitting shoes is thought to make bunions worse. It's also thought that bunions are more likely to occur in people with unusually flexible joints, which is why bunions sometimes occur in children. In some cases, certain health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout, may also be responsible.
SymptomsIt is unusual to have much bunion or hallux valgus pain when out of shoe wear or at rest. There are exceptions to this and in particular if symptoms have been ignored during the day and the bunion has become very painful during the day then some symptoms may be present at night. The pain from the region of the great toe at rest or at night is however more often a symptom of an arthritic big toe (hallux rigidus) rather than a straightforward bunion. To confuse matters these two conditions can sometimes coexist. Bunion or hallux valgus pain is most often present when walking in enclosed shoes. There may be little bunion pain in sandals or barefoot. It is unusual to have much bunion pain when not putting weight on the foot or at night. If there is bunion pain at rest or at night then there may also be arthritic change within the toe.

Diagnosis
Before examining your foot, the doctor will ask you about the types of shoes you wear and how often you wear them. He or she also will ask if anyone else in your family has had bunions or if you have had any previous injury to the foot. In most cases, your doctor can diagnose a bunion just by examining your foot. During this exam, you will be asked to move your big toe up and down to see if you can move it as much as you should be able to. The doctor also will look for signs of redness and swelling and ask if the area is painful. Your doctor may want to order X-rays of the foot to check for other causes of pain, to determine whether there is significant arthritis and to see if the bones are aligned properly.

Non Surgical Treatment
Bunions can be treated conservatively (without surgery) using simple measures such as well-fitting shoes, orthoses simple painkillers and padding. Physiotherapy can help improve associated muscle imbalances. Such measures will not correct or even stop the deformity but they can help with symptoms. When non-surgical treatments prove insufficient, surgery can relieve your pain, correct any related foot deformity and help you resume your normal activities.


Surgical Treatment
Bunion surgery is an option for those who have persisting pain and the condition is worsening. Surgery on a bunion can correct the bone deformity, increase function and relieve pain. Bunion surgery should not be considered lightly, the surgery is often successful but there is a rate of surgical failure. The big toe can move back into its previous place if the patient does not follow instructions, which will result in the pain returning. The surgical failure for bunions can be reduced greatly if activity restrictions are followed and proper footwear is worn after surgery.