Bunion Products And Can You Treat Bunions Without Surgery?

Whether or not you can treat bunions without surgery is a much-debated topic, and it also depends on the severity of the bunion. There are a lot of bunion products on the market that can help one to alleviate some of the discomfort and pain caused by bunions.

Bunions are more commonly known in the medical community as hallux valgus or hallux abductor valgus.  This sounds like a terrible disease, but it needn’t be.

Believe it or not in a lot of cases good footwear is often all that is needed.

Wearing good footwear won’t cure the deformity but may ease symptoms of pain and discomfort. Ideally, get footwear advice from a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders like a podiatrist (chiropodist).

Advice a doctor would give you for bunions may include:

• Wear shoes, trainers or slippers that fit well and are roomy in the front.
• Never wear high-heeled, pointed or tight shoes.
• Shoes with straps or laces are best as they can be adjusted to the width of your foot.
• Padding over the bunion may help.
• Ice packs twice a day can alleviate discomfort.
• Devices which help to straighten the toe (orthoses) may be recommended. However, there is no evidence they improve the underlying condition or stop it getting worse. They may help reduce the pain, at least for a while.
• Using painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol can help, but it the deformity becomes infected a course of antibiotics may be prescribed.
• Bunion products may also help. You can scroll down and click on the pictures to find out more about these.
• Try using a night splint to align the big toe while you sleep.
• Use a thin padding during the day over the area to reduce irritation.

What About Surgery?

An operation could be advised if a change of footwear does not ease symptoms. The aim of the operation is to straighten the joint as much as possible and relieve pain. It is not usually done just to improve appearance. It can be done using a local or a general anesthetic and you are usually out of the hospital on the same day.

There are many different types of operation which are used to treat bunions. These range from operations to trim parts of the joint, to a total artificial replacement of the big toe joint (similar to a knee or a hip replacement). A common surgical procedure used is called a scarf osteotomy (osteotomy means a cut in the bone). In some cases, the joint may be fused together so it no longer moves (arthrodesis). The exact operation chosen by the specialist depends on a number of factors like:

• How severe the bunion is.
• How deformed your foot is.
• If you have osteoarthritis in the joint.
• The shape of your foot.

Although some prefer to treat bunions without surgery, an operation is normally successful at easing symptoms but there are always exceptions to the rule. It is not always possible to relieve the pain completely or make the toe perfectly straight. Your specialist will be able to advise you on the pros and cons of surgery and on the success rate of the chosen operation. Complications of the operation can include:

• Continued pain.
• Infection.
• The bunion grows back.
• General risks anesthetics generate.

You may need to wear a special shoe for six weeks after the operation. Your hospital or doctor will give you specific information and advice.

What Are The Symptoms And Problems That Bunions Cause?

• Pain and difficulty walking.
• Inflammation and swelling at the base of the big toe. This can become infected.
• The forefoot may become so wide that it can be difficult to find wide enough shoes.
• You may develop arthritis in the big toe.
• The second toe can also become deformed.
• In severe cases, the big toe can push your second toe up out of place.

Bunions are physical deformities associated with the bones in the foot and a bunion is basically a prominent metatarsophalangeal joint at the base of your big toe.  Bunions can lead to severe pain from conventional footwear and sore spots can develop due to constant friction.  Bunions can range in severity from mild where the person hardly knows it is there, to severe, where even walking is difficult.

As you can see, a bunion is not necessarily always a problem, unless the bunion rubs against your shoe and becomes inflamed.  When this happens, the little sacs of fluid under the skin called bursa become inflamed and result in bursitis.  Infections and blisters are other potential bunion complications.

There are many ways as you can see to treat bunions without surgery.

The main cause of bunions is genetics, but they can also be caused by bad footwear, or sometimes in ballet dancers when they start pointe work too early before the bones have set. Ill fitting pointe shoes can also play a role.  Incorrect technique in your ballet dancing can also have an impact.  Make sure that all your shoes fit properly.  The big toe joint should always line up straight with the metatarsal.

When practicing your ballet dancing, avoid winging your foot (this is sticking the big toe forward when pointing) or putting sideways pressure on your big toe.  Also, when you close your feet into fifth position, avoid using too much forceful pressure on the floor.  You can purchase soft toe spacers, which generally work well provided they are not too big or bulky.  A physical therapist can show you how to tape the big toe to enable it to stay properly aligned and supported.

When standing, whether flat, on demi-pointe or full pointe, make sure that your weight is distributed properly and that you are not putting undue pressure on the inner side of the foot and big toe.

Prevention is definitely the best treatment for bunions because once you have them, they don’t go away easily.

Here are a few products that could help you big time with your bunions. Hopefully you will find some bunion products that will help you to treat bunions without surgery. Click on the pic to find out more.