Bunion

At best, a bunion can make it uncomfortable to wear those fashionable shoes you adore. At their worst, bunion deformities can cause unrelenting pain and make it nearly impossible to slide on even your most comfortable slippers. The doctors can remedy your bunion problems and get you back into the footwear you love. Call today for an appointment or use their convenient online scheduling service.

What is a bunion?

Many people believe that bunions are bone growths that your podiatrist can shave away. It is not that simple though; a bunion is a misalignment deformity of the big toe joint. This misalignment occurs when the metatarsal base becomes unstable/ hypermobile. The big toe leans toward the second toe, rather than pointing straight ahead. This throws the bones out of alignment—producing the bunion’s bump.  Bunions are a progressive disorder. Initially, your foot may just appear wider in that region, with time the bump becomes more noticeable as your big toe becomes increasingly misaligned-- drifting further toward your second toe.  Sometimes the bunion is so bad the big toe will cross under or over the second toe!

Another type of bunion, called a tailor’s bunion, affects the joints in the baby/5th  toe. This type of bunion is much less common than those that occur near the big toe and rarely cause pain or significant problems.

Symptoms of a Bunion

Symptoms, which occur at the site of the bunion, can include:

• Pain, swelling, and redness
• A burning or tingling/ numb sensation 
• Difficulty or inability to wear shoes
• Wearing holes in the sides of shoes

Symptoms occur most often when wearing shoes that crowd the toes, minimalist type shoes or high heels. This may explain why women are more likely to have symptoms than men. In addition, spending long periods of time on your feet can aggravate the symptoms of bunions.

What causes a bunion?

Bunions are most often caused by an inherited faulty mechanical structure of the foot. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion. Ill-fitting shoes, high heels, and very narrow toe boxes are often blamed for bunion deformities. This practice may be linked to bunion development and can certainly increase discomfort once you develop a bunion. But many people who never wear tight, narrow shoes have bunions. They can also occur in your teenage years and may be hereditary.

What is the treatment for a bunion?

Sometimes observation of the bunion is all that is needed. To reduce the chance of damage to the joint, periodic evaluation and x-rays by your surgeon are advised.
In many other cases treatment is needed. Early treatments are aimed at easing the pain and progression of the bunion. These include:

• Changes in shoe gear: Choose shoes that have a wide toe box and skip those with pointed toes or high heels, which can aggravate the condition.
• Padding: Pads placed over the area of the bunion can help minimize pain. These can be obtained from your doctor or purchased at a drug store.
• Injection therapy: Steroid injections can be useful in treating the inflammation in the joint itself.
• Orthotic devices: Custom orthotic devices may be provided by Dr Williams to significantly slow the bunions progression.

When Is Surgery Needed?

When nonsurgical treatments fail to relieve bunion pain and when the pain of a bunion interferes with daily activities, it is time to discuss surgical options.  To be clear the only true way to correct your bunion deformity is to have surgery. 

Lapiplasty

Here at Lincoln Park Podiatry, we are very skilled in a novel surgical procedure known as Lapiplasty™. With traditional bunion surgery there is cutting away a portion of the bone and moving it to a better position, but it doesn’t correct the joint instability- the reason the bunion developed in the first place. With Lapiplasty, Dr. Williams re-positions the bone back into correct alignment and then permanently stabilizes the unstable joint, which ensures a 97% chance the bunion can never return.

Lapiplasty in action

Minimal Scar Lapiplasty work by Dr Williams 

Traditional Bunion Surgery by Dr. Williams