The bunion ranks along with corns and calluses as major
causes of foot misery. We say misery because discomfort is too mild a word.
A bunion is the progressive movement of the great toe
toward the second toe with a resulting "bump of bone" on the side or
top of the big toe joint.
Heredity and faulty foot function are the most common cause
of bunions. The longer the bunion exists, the more the great toe moves over and
the larger the bump becomes. A bunion can be very painful and unattractive, and
ultimately cause the great toe joint to become arthritic, or even dislocated.
The crooked great toe will crowd the lesser toes in a shoe. This can cause the patient to walk
improperly and lead to arch, leg, or back pain.
Three primary ways exist to treat bunions:
1. Oral or injectable anti-inflammatory
medication to relieve acute symptoms.
2. Orthotic devices to bio-mechanically reduce the forces causing the bunion to
develop. This often can eliminate pain in a mild to moderate deformity.
3. Surgical correction of the mal-alignment.
Some people believe that a bunion correction requires
cumbersome casts, extensive hospital stays and lengthy loss of time from work
and daily routines. Not true. Most patients suffering from bunion deformities
have surgery performed on an outpatient basis, thus allowing early ambulation
and return to normal activities.
Many ways exist to treat a bunion deformity. No one need
suffer the pain and annoying deformity of this condition.
Is one of these treatment methods right for you? We make it easy for you to find out. Here's how....
The physicians and staff of the A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Centers maintain three complete podiatric clinical facilities and provide 24-hour emergency service. We participate in most health plans including Blue Cross / Blue Shield, Medicare, and Medicaid. We complete and file all necessary insurance forms and make every effort to assure you of maximum benefits with minimum out-of-pocket expense.
You are invited to make an appointment today to relieve your foot problems by calling us at 970-493-4660 or 970-667-0769.
