What Is A Bunion And How Is It Removed?

A bunion forms on the foot when the toes begin to move inward, forcing the bone on the side of the big toe or the pinky toe to be pushed outward. The bunion is essentially the bone on the foot becoming deformed, and over time if left in this state, can become very painful for you to walk or to do just about anything. Even wearing certain types of shoes may be painful for you. Read on for more information about bunions and how they can be treated or removed.

How Are Bunions Formed? 

Bunions are formed when your toes are forced to squish together, moving them inward. This can occur due to wearing improper footwear for too long. Wearing shoes such as narrow shoes, or shoes that press the foot too far forward can cause this issue. This is why you should choose your footwear carefully. You need to wear shoes that are comfortable for your feet, not just your arches or heels, but your toes as well. Heels that are too high can press your foot too far forward, causing the bunion to form. If you wear narrow shoes, such as pointed-toed shoes, it can lead to bunions as well. If you have wide feet, you need to wear wide shoes. If you prefer heels, you need to keep them less than two inches.

How Are Bunions Treated?

Bunions are treated in a number of ways, but sometimes ultimately surgery is going to be necessary. You may be able to treat your bunion by beginning to wear the proper footwear and hope that your bones relax back into the proper position, especially if the bunion is not that bad. You may also be able to treat the bunion with a special tape to pull the toes back into place, or to press the bone back inward. There are special socks that you can wear to help achieve this as well. Ultimately though, surgery to shave down the bunion and to correct the toes that have been pressed inward may be necessary. This is the ideal solution if you have a lot of issues with pain in your feet caused by the bunion and the other treatments are not working.

If you have a bunion and you are living in constant pain, you should consult your podiatrist about it. You should have it diagnosed properly, then have it treated or surgically removed as needed.

Find out more about bunion surgery.