A bunion is an often painful enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe. If you have a bunion, you will notice a bump on your big toe joint. The big toe may turn in toward the second toe and the tissues surrounding the joint may be swollen and tender. Bunions can come from a variety of causes, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or foot mechanics that place too much load on the ball of your foot. If untreated, bunions can worsen, leading to other serious complications, and even potentially require surgery. Early treatment is best, so if you?re suffering from bunions it?s smart to see a podiatrist for proper treatment and care. Causes
There are many reasons why this deformity occurs such as hereditary factors. Footwear habits. Foot type. Biomechanical factors (pronation). Neuromuscular dysfunction. Ligament Dysfunction (laxity). The most common causative factor is inheriting a foot type from your family that is prone to bunions. Feet that are subjected to pronation also have a higher incidence of attaining HAV deformities. This is a problem that has many causes and more than one may be occurring at the same time.
Symptoms
Pain or soreness. Inflamattion and redness. A burning sensation. Numbness on the side of the great toe. Other conditions which may occur secondary to bunions include calluses on the big toe, sore between the toes, ingrown toenails, and stiffness of the joint where the great toe attaches to the foot.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will ask questions about your past health and carefully examine your toe and joint. Some of the questions might be: When did the bunions start? What activities or shoes make your bunions worse? Do any other joints hurt? The doctor will examine your toe and joint and check their range of motion. This is done while you are sitting and while you are standing so that the doctor can see the toe and joint at rest and while bearing weight. X-rays are often used to check for bone problems or to rule out other causes of pain and swelling. Other tests, such as blood tests or arthrocentesis (removal of fluid from a joint for testing), are sometimes done to check for other problems that can cause joint pain and swelling. These problems might include gout , rheumatoid arthritis , or joint infection.
Non Surgical Treatment
Wide shoes with plenty of space for the toes are the first place to start. Along these lines, a shoe can be focally stretched directly over the painful bunion using a device known as a ?ball and ring? shoe stretcher. Additionally, numerous commercial bunion braces and splints are available to help keep the big toe in better alignment.
Surgical Treatment
When these above measures no longer help to relieve the pain in the big toe, surgery to correct the bunion deformity is considered. Numerous surgical procedures have been recommended for bunions. What is most critical is that the type of deformity is carefully evaluated, because one bunion surgery cannot be used for all types of bunions. If the big toe joint is rotated out of place, the joint must be rotated back in place for the procedure to work. Conversely, a bunion can occur with the big toe still ?in place.? If surgery is considered, the bunion must be corrected with the toe joint left in its current position. In other words, one type of bunion repair does not work for everyone. In all types of bunion repairs, ligaments and tendons (soft tissues) around the big toe joint are reconstructed, to allow the toe to be straightened. Most bunion procedures also require cutting the metatarsal bone, which is then fixed with metal screws to hold the bone in position until it heals. It usually takes 2 to 4 months to fully recover from bunion surgery, which is why it is always the last course of treatment.