Bunions explained:
Bunions sound like they are harmless and simply a painful bump on the side of your foot, but in reality bunions are a malformation of the foot that can make walking and even standing difficult. Although people usually inherit the bone structure that causes bunions, you can take steps to slow their formation and treat them when they appear.
What is a Bunion?
A bunion looks and feels like a hard bump on the side of your foot. Bunions can develop on either the inside or outside of the foot, but are typically found near the base of your big toe. These bumps can make finding shoes that fit difficult, and, at first, they may not be painful, but more serious symptoms generally appear over time.
Symptoms of a Bunion
The main symptom of this condition is a large bump to the side of your big toe. The bump is often red and sore, potentially causing serious pain. The toe joint may develop arthritis, making movement even more difficult. You may also develop corns at the site of the bunion due to its pressing on the side of shoes. Bunions can make standing for long periods extremely painful, so some jobs become difficult to perform. Medical professionals, salespeople and others who are constantly on their feet may find bunions difficult to handle.
Wearing tight fitting shoes can exacerbate and accelerate bunions.
Causes of a Bunion
Bunions are caused by excessive motion, stress and pressure on a bone, which leads to excess bone growth and inflammation of the tissue. Wearing tight-fitting shoes can make the condition worse.
Can Insoles or Orthotics help Bunions?
For some people, simply changing ill-fitting footwear can ease the pain and slow down bunion development. Look for footwear with ample room in the toe box to relieve pressure and friction off painful areas. For prevention of bunions, the gentle orthotic shape of Superfeet shoe inserts can also help reduce excess motion, minimizing stress and strain on the big toe joint.
I have a Bunion, what can I do?
If you have a painful bunion, aside from the above advice you can also use a Bunion Protector to help keep it from rubbing on your shoes.
Using a Hallux Valgus night splint can also help alleviate symptons.
Click Here to view our range of Bunion products for pain relief.