Based in the heart of NY, Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions offer the best treatment for your bunions. Look no further when you can have direct access to the globally acclaimed team of foot and ankle doctors, supervising & managing your condition of bunions with diligence and dedication.
Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions support team is absolutely attentive to your bunions related issues. Call & book an appointment right away for professionally treated bunions to lead a healthy, avid lifestyle.
Bunions: Explained By Your Bunions Doctor
Bunions, medically known as “hallux valgus”, may well progress into a grave issue similar to its biological terminology. Anatomically, it is a bony projection off the side of the big toe that is often painless in the initial stage. Bunions form at a joint wherein the whole bodyweight has to be borne with each advancing step.
The formation of bunions may occur in either feet or both. It is a potent indication of occurrence of changes in the skeletal framework of the forefoot. The big toe angles inwards, leaning towards the adjacent 2nd toe in contrast to its normal straight position. If this condition persists for longer time periods, the bones often become misaligned, turning the protrusion more prominent.
Bunions happen to be a gradational anomaly that develops worsening pain and soreness over time. Since symptoms often become evident at much later stages, it often goes unnoticed and untreated for years. Incidentally, some individuals never feel the associated pain and discomfort at all.
Bunions: The Underlying Causes
Bunions are primarily the condition of adulthood, although its occurrence in earlier years is not a rare phenomenon. If detected and diagnosed earlier, some severe forms of foot deformities may be warded off effectively.
- Genetically Inherited Defective Foot Mechanical Structure
- Arthritis (especially, the rheumatoid one)
- Achilles Tendon
- Tight Muscles & Tendons
- Certain Foot Injuries
- Narrow & High Heel Shoes
- Abnormal Podiatric Development In The Pre-Birth Stage
Bunions: The Associated Symptoms
- Discomfort In The Skin Overlying The Bunion
- Pain & Soreness At The Bunion Site
- Thickening Of Bunion Skin
- Periodic Burning Sensations
- Inflammation & Redness Over The Bunion Skin
- Swelling In The Affected Toe Joint
- Possible Numbness In The Area Around The Bunion
- Restricted Motion Of The Affected Toe Joint
It should be taken note of that women are more prone to developing and suffering from bunions than men by about 10 times. This is essentially due to the lifestyle young ladies usually follow, specifically in terms of footwear selection. Moreover, anyone living under this chronic condition usually has to compromise on adapting a particular lifestyle that doesn’t aggravate the issue and aids in its correction. The adaptive measures may include restricting your routine workout frequency & methods, and suspending the usage of your favorite type of footwear.
Bunions: The Diagnosis
As the condition of bunions is confronted by your podiatrist, it is usually quite evident at first sight in the form of a bulge at the bottom or medial side of the toe. In order to graduate and measure the extent of deformity and other changes that might have taken place, your foot and ankle surgeon may carry out investigations via X-ray. Once all facts and figures have been established, your bunion surgeon may well proceed with chalking out a treatment plan that would decide your course of recovery, once executed.
Bunions: The Treatment
The pain and discomfort associated with bunions can be measured at a scale of 1-10. Owing to this fact, the mode of treatment varies between nonsurgical in minor cases and surgical in intense ones.
The Nonsurgical Procedure: The basic treatment method employed is aimed at reducing the bunion pain and inflammation without actually removing the deformed condition itself; it can only help in preventing further deterioration of the toe joint and the superficial skin layer.
- Ice Padding applied several times in a day to provide relief from painful and inflamed condition
- Cushioning Via Soft Padding over the bunion to help control swelling and pain
- Correct Footwear with features such as low heels and broader, spacious toe box
- Customized Orthotic Devices may be prescribed under certain conditions
- Oral Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers that subside pain and inflammation
- Steroidal Injection comprising of corticosteroids to cure inflamed bursa that at times accompanies a bunion
- Restricted Activity such as reduced exercise or workout and walking or standing for prolonged periods
The Surgical Procedure: At times wherein the nonsurgical method fails to produce the desired result and the subject has to suffer from such a degree of pain that it actually impedes the routine life, surgical intervention may be the final option that your foot and ankle care surgeon would suggest to you.
A variety of surgical methodologies have been developed over time to resolve 3 major issues related to bunions: pain, the bunion protrusion & general bony structure of the foot, and soft tissue changes. The choice of a particular procedure or a combination of more relies upon certain factors that have to be considered prior to proceeding with the bunion surgery or operative practice:
- Extent Of Deformity as determined by the X-ray reports
- Age of the subject
- Level Of Activity as routine chores or daily workout
The full recovery period would rest upon the mode(s) of surgery employed by your union surgeon.
In some cases, revision bunion surgery may be recommended if bunions recur after initial treatment. It addresses persistent pain or deformity. Your foot and ankle care surgeon can guide you through the process and determine the appropriate surgical approach such as Lapiplasty or Lapidus Bunionectomy for optimal recovery and long-term results.