Bunions first appear as a bump along the side of your foot at the base of the great toe or the big toe as most people call it. The actual name for this toe joint is called the MTP joint or metatarsophalangeal joint. This toe joint becomes enlarged and thus moves the other toes towards the others. As it does this all the toes become out of whack and end up causing pain. You will probably have redness and swelling in this area as well. This deformity can also occur on the other end where the little toe is and this is called a bunionette.
Do you wear shoes that do not fit right? Stop doing it! This is one of the causes of bunions. It is important to wear shoes that fit correctly. The shoes that they sell now for women are oh, so pretty, but they damage your feet. Who has pointed toes like that? Bunions can also develop due to arthritis or those good, ole genes that you inherited from mom or dad. Nevertheless, you got them now, they hurt, and you are stuck with them until you do something about it. If not taken care of, the rest of the toes will become bent as well and you will then wind up with hammertoes. Eventually, this will lead to even greater pain.
If you think this sounds like your foot see your podiatrist as soon as possible. It will only get worse and the longer you wait the less effective the treatment will be. The doctor only has to look at your foot and move things around and he will be able to tell whether you have a bunion or not. X-rays will be taken of the foot as well so that your podiatrist can get the big picture to see exactly where each bone is positioned.
Conservative treatment will calm things down, but ultimately surgery will need to be done. If holding off on surgery is your choice you can relieve the pain by padding and taping your foot into its correct position, wear comfortable shoes with a boxy toe, use over-the-counter pain relievers, and use orthotics, which are inserts designed to the shape of your foot. Be prepared though, these are costly.
Surgical treatment, known as a bunionectomy, consists of removal of bone and tissue around the affected toe and realigning the toe or toes back into their normal position with the use of pins. This treatment is recommended after conservative measures are tried first.
Our feet are important though we do not pay much attention to them. We need them to carry us throughout our day and good foot care is essential. See your podiatrist at the first sign of any foot problems. The sooner treatment is sought out, the better.
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health