There’s a bump on the side of your big toe. It’s slowly been getting larger. You have a bunion.
Bunions aren’t actually growths on your toe. They form because your big toe has begun to point toward the second toe, which forces the bone at the base of the big toe joint to jut outward.
Once a bunion forms, it doesn’t go away. Bunions require medical care. Left untreated, they worsen and can lead to other serious foot problems. Treating bunions early often reduces the need for surgery. Board Qualified Podiatric Surgeon Dr. Nathan Hansen with Hansen Foot & Ankle in Mill Creek, Washington, treats many patients with bunions and provides relief from your discomfort.
Following are four reasons to consider bunion surgery if conservative methods haven’t helped you.
When a bunion grows large enough, it causes discomfort. Your toe rubs against your shoes, and the friction hurts. You may begin to curtail activities that involve walking long distances. You’ve tried numerous remedies like heat and ice and extra padding. Physical therapy hasn’t really helped enough. The pain is present when you’re on your feet. You’re seeking pain relief.
When a bunion prevents you from normal physical activity, you may stop going to the gym for a workout or cease playing a sport you love. If you’re a tennis or golf aficionado, it may be impossible to play the game. If going dancing every weekend gives you joy, you’ve had to give it up.
When you’re unable to engage in activities you love, your quality of life suffers. Unsurprisingly, you may feel depressed.
Regular physical activity is essential to good health. Many studies show that a sedentary lifestyle leads to heart disease and other serious health complications. Being unable to be on your feet can lead to poor health. You want to get moving again.
Your bunion may cause foot deformity to the point that your shoes don’t fit. It becomes a difficult, frustrating exercise to find new shoes.
Your bunion may require you to wear a larger size on one foot than the other. Shoes are expensive. You want to be able to wear the shoes you have.
Bunions can cause other disabling foot problems like bursitis, hammertoe, and arthritis. You have a sac filled with fluid called a bursa that serves as a shock absorber in the bones of your joint. Your bunion causes irritation of the bursa. Now you have bursitis.
Bunions can also cause a hammertoe. Your big toe pushes your second toe into an unnatural position. The second toe begins to curl up away from the bottom of your foot into a curved position. Hammertoe is a painful condition.
Finally, a bunion can result in arthritis in your toe. The joint is forced into an abnormal position and stays that way, producing trauma to the joint when you place pressure on it.
If your bunion needs surgery, we can straighten out your toe so that you can regain your quality of life. Call Hansen Foot & Ankle today for expert treatment of your bunion.