Bunion Save your soles from Bunions! Bunions (scientific name: Hallux Abducto Valgus), despite being known to be a common foot deformity has lot of misconceptions about it. Ironically, people unaware of it continue to writhe in pain for long time (sometimes 'years') before being diagnosed with it and going for treatment.

What is Bunion?

For a layman, bunion is nothing but a visible bump on the side of the big toe. However, there is more to this foot deformity than what meets the eye. The bump originally represents the altering bony framework of the front part of the foot. With passage of time, the affected toe starts leaning towards the other toe. Thereafter the bones start falling out of alignment and the bump surfaces.

A progressive foot problem, bunions on being ignored continuously results in gradual alteration of bones turning into a prominent bump in later years. Unfortunately for Patients of Bunions, symptoms start showing quite late which only gets worse with passage of time. Interestingly, in some cases, symptoms don't surface at all.

What causes Bunion?

Apparently, inheritance of flawed mechanical foot structure is known to be one of major causes of Bunions. This however should not be understood that Bunions can be inherited. Factually speaking, it is not this medical problem but the inheritance of certain foot types that makes a person eligible to become a patient of bunion.

Here it is important to clarify that wearing shoes don't actually cause bunions. However, it certainly can aggravate the deformity.

Symptoms of Bunions

Patients of Bunions can often be seen complaining of suffering from Pain or soreness at the site. Apart from that, burning sensations, numbness, inflammation and redness in the affected area are other common symptoms noticed in the patients struggling with this form of foot deformity.

Interestingly, tight toe box shoes or high heels easily give way for Bunion. This automatically explains why fairer sex is comparatively more prone to Bunions than the darker sex.

How Bunions can be diagnosed?

Incidentally, Bunions are not that difficult to diagnose as they are clearly visible. However, to be absolutely sure the surgeon may take an X-Ray of the affected portion to assess the degree of deformity and study the alterations in the bone structure.

Remember, bunion is a progressive foot deformity problem and on neglecting it only gets worse . Since in some cases the situation deteriorates really quickly. Hence it is quite important for your surgeon to have fairly good idea of the gravity of the damage done so that he or she could plan the treatment sessions accordingly and check further growth of this deformity. Normally, surgery is known to be a sure-shot solution of this problem.

Non-surgical treatments!

Apart regular medical check-ups and alternative therapies, there are various ways by which you can control the growth of Bunion. Although these ways can't exactly reverse the damage done yet they can help with pain and discomfort.

Following are these ways:-

Choice of Footwear: Correct selection of footwear definitely pays. To keep Bunion in check, wearing right footwear is extremely important. Avoid wide toe box, pointed toes, high heels or the shoes which does not have proper ventilation measures.

Regular application of ice-packs: Frequent application of ice-pack on the affected portion can certainly reduce inflammation and pain.

Padding measures: Placing pads over the affected region can help with pain.

In addition to these, Corticosteroids injections, Orthotic devices are other extensively used measures  to treat bunions.