Do I have a Bunion?

If the answer to this is yes, you fall into an elite group of celebrities including Oprah, Victoria Beckham, Katie Holmes and many super models. What? That doesn’t impress you? Well here are the facts about what a bunion is and why it is a problem.

A bunion (Hallux Abducto Valgus) deformity is a one of the most common foot deformities in men and women that Dr. Bowman will see. Many people think that a bunion is a large “growth” on the side of their foot. Usually, the prominence seen on the inner side of the big toe joint is not a growth but a misalignment (or slight disarticulation) of the toe and the metatarsal bone. The bunion presents itself from a biomechanical mismatch between muscles in the foot. One muscle is pulling the big toe towards the other toes and the counter-balancing muscle fails to win the “tug-o-war” causing the big toe to sit slightly angled off of the metatarsal bone. The bony prominence seen in bunions is simply the metatarsal head sticking out because the toe is not on straight. With time, the bone usually will enlarge and cause even more pain. Other biomechanical failures within the foot can cause a widening of the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones or excess motion in the joint at the base of the 1st metatarsal.

Corrected Bunion deformity, placing big toe back in a good position.

Whatever the cause, the result is a problematicprotruding,painful prominence (It should’ve been called a punion). Conservative treatment usually falls short of correcting the deformity in the bones or joints. If surgery is off the table, there are straps and pads that treat the symptoms-not the problem. The surgery to re-align the bones and great toe joint is one of the most common procedures we do at Houston Foot Specialists. The bump is shaved, the metatarsal head is shifted back in place and the muscle that is winning the tug-o-war is cut (it’s not a fair game, but it helps keep the bunion from coming back).Orthotic treatment, very early on can possible delay the need for surgical intervention and should be implemented after surgery to stop the recurrence of the deformity.

If you are dealing with a painful bunion, please contact Dr. Jeffrey N. Bowman at (713) 467-8886 or see our website for lots more information at www.houstonfootspecialists.com.

For more information check this Huffington Post Article on Bunion Myths:Click Here

Category: Foot Problems

Tags: Bunion Surgery, Bunion Treatment, Bunions, foot pain, Foot Surgery, Orthotics