What is a bunion?
Have you heard of Bunions? Does your big toe push into your other toes?
A bunion or hallux abducto valgus (HAV) occurs when your big toe pushes into your other toes,
causing the big toe joint to become prominent and painful. Bunions can be very painful and lead to issues with shoe fit, callus and/or corn formation, blisters, and altered foot function.
Why do I have a bunion?
Causes:
- Genetics: Having a bunion can run in your family.
- Poor fitting footwear: Narrow fitting shoes and/or heels can compress your toes and cause
your big toe to move out of place.
- Biomechanics: Muscle imbalance, hypermobility or excessive pronation (feet rolling in) can
increase the stress on your big toe and alter it’s position.
What can I do about this?
Treatment options:
Address the underlying cause, manage symptoms, and prevent further deformity.
- Proper fitting footwear: Check that you are wearing shoes that fit your feet properly- in
particular check that your shoes have a wide toebox and there is enough length, width, and
depth throughout your shoe so that it is not pushing against your bunion.
- Custom foot orthotics: Orthotics can improve the position and function of your feet to
reduce the stress on the big toe. They also can prevent it getting worse!
- Bunion shields: Cushioning at the bony prominence of the bunion can provide pain relief and
reduce blisters and callus from forming.
- Bunion taping: Temporary improve the alignment and position of your big toe for
symptomatic relief.
- Mobilisation Therapy: Provides pain relief and improved joint function.
- Strengthening exercises: Strengthening the muscles in and around your big toe can help
improve it’s position.
- Surgery: If you have tried all other conservative options, you can have surgery to fix the bony
deformity.
Example of Bunion taping below:
A podiatrist can assess your feet to identify what is causing your bunion and how we can address the cause to improve your foot function!
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