Do you refuse to wear flip-flops, sandals, go bare foot or otherwise hide your feet due to embarrassment because you have a bunion? If so, you are among the nearly 40% of the adult population estimated to have one or more bunions, a painful and unsightly foot condition. Known in the medical community as Hallux Valgus, a bunion appears as a lump or bump near the area where the foot and the big toe meet.
A bunion forms slowly, first appearing as a red area and eventually progressing in its redness, becoming sore and tender to the touch with pronounced swelling. Wearing shoes becomes painful as the bunion presses against the inside of the shoe causing individuals to purchase a larger or wider shoe size to accommodate the growing bunion.
There are not any clear-cut reasons for the development of bunions, although many doctors do believe that for some people a genetic predisposition exists. Women, as a whole, develop bunions at a greater rate than men do, and some are inclined to blame a woman’s footwear for bunions. Again, no clear evidence proves this, however, wearing closed-toed and narrow shoes certainly is painful, if not impossible, when one has a bunion. Research also indicates that individuals with flat feet or low arches, arthritis, and joint disease, may be at a higher risk of developing bunions.
At some point, an individual suffering with bunion pain should consider Bunion Surgery to address the condition. Conservative treatment does not cure the bunion or inhibit it from getting worse. Prescribing pain medication, using orthotics to ease the pressure, applying bunion pads, and wearing less restrictive shoes are common non-surgical treatment methods. Again, the goal is pain reduction, not removal of the bunion itself.
If your goal is to be free of the bunion, then Bunion Surgery is the only solution for bunion removal, or to correct the bone that is out of alignment. The surgery most commonly done is called an osteotomy and is regarded as the most successful. It involves removing the bony protrusion and realigning the bones. Another option involves fusing the bones together, but it is typically reserved for individuals with significant deformities of the foot. You can also follow them on Twitter for more updates.
