Heels are great shoes to accessorize with different outfits. They can also give off a professional air at the office. Although they look cute, they typically aren’t good for you. Loafers tend to be the same way. Both of these types of shoes can be restrictive, narrow, and cause a lot of pressure on the forefoot. This pressure builds up over time and causes pain, suffering, and sometimes even bunions.
Bunions are a common deformity of the forefoot. They can occur in both male and females alike. They tend to be more common in women though, because women tend to wear many different types of narrow toed dress shoes.
What is a Bunion?
A bunion is a displaced joint. It usually occurs between the big toe and the long bone just behind it. It starts out as a tiny bulge on the side of your toe. Over time this bulge gets larger and larger until its hard to fit into a shoe and ignore. As the bulge increases in size, the big toe will start to point in the opposite direction of the bulge. Sometimes the bunion is so severe that the toe’s new angle makes it so that it overlaps or underlaps with the other toes on the foot. This makes the foot deformed and can cause a lot of pain and suffering for the patient.
What causes a Bunion?
One of the biggest causes of bunions is narrow toed shoes. These restrictive shoes put so much pressure on the foot that it begins to try to protect itself and begins to bulge. While it does this, it messes with the joints and the bones on the insides and causes more harm than good.
Another cause of bunions is genetics. If your family has a history of bunions, then it is more likely that you too will develop a bunion.
Those with a poor gait and flat arches are also more susceptible to bunions and should have a podiatrist check their feet regularly.
Treatment
After seeing a trained podiatrist such as Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico of Syracuse Podiatry, conveniently located in Fayetteville, New York, you may be treated with any one (or combination of) the following:
If you have a bunion that is giving you grief, call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today. We at Syracuse Podiatry are pledged to improve the quality of life through the treatment of foot & ankle disorders. Our team is committed to a relationship based on care, commitment, and compassion and we always strive to enjoy what we do.