Bunions can be extremely painful. They can make everyday activities uncomfortable. These can be things like running or hiking or climbing or even just trying to wear shoes. The pain is often described as a dull ache or even a burning type sensation. Plenty of patients relate other things like trying to wear a shoe again after being in a sandal all summer or a sudden sharp pain on the bottom of their foot. The symptoms and problems associated with a bunion can be diverse and understanding the pathology can be helpful.
A bunion is not a growth on the side of the foot. Quite a few patients come into the office believing that they have a bony growth that is causing the bunion. However this is a common misconception. The bunion is caused by a change in position of the 1st metatarsal bone. This bone begins to deviate towards the other foot and as it changes position the big toe drifts towards your 5th digit or pinky toe. This deviation gets worse with time. There are factors that influence the bunion. Primarily it is genetics. Your bunion develops because one has a family history of bunions. There are factors that will increase the speed at which it occurs like high heel shoes for example. Eventually it becomes big enough or painful enough to have it fixed.
Fixing a bunion is my specialty. I really enjoy helping patients to get back to the activities they love. Bunion surgery can be relatively straightforward and provide excellent results. The vast majority of bunions can be fixed in 1-2 hours as an outpatient procedure. The surgical recovery depends on the procedure selected and the fixation utilized to repair the bunion. If you are suffering from bunion pain I can help! Give me a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.
Sincerely,
American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons
