Bunions

More than half the women in America have bunions, a common deformity often blamed on wearing tight, narrow shoes. Bunions cause the base of your big toe (Metatarsophalangeal Joint) to enlarge and protrude. The skin over it may be red and tender. This can be acquired through time, or it can be an inherited trait from your family.

If you have bunions, wearing any type of shoe may be painful. This joint flexes with every step you take. The bigger your bunion gets, the more it hurts to walk. Bursitis may set in. Your big toe may angle towards your second toe, or even move all the way under or over it. The skin on the bottom of your foot may become thicker and painful. Pressure from your big toe may force your second toe out of alignment, sometimes causing it to overlap your third toe. If your bunion gets too severe, it may cause difficulty in walking. Your pain may become chronic, and in some cases you may develop arthritis.

Most bunions can be treated conservatively with wider and softer shoes, pads to relieve the pressure, and/or medications. If this does not help, then surgical treatment can also be the answer.