Bunion

A bunion is a bony bump at the base of your big toe. The bump can be painful.

• A bunion is really just the end of one of your foot bones

• The end of the foot bone appears to stick out because your big toe is pushed in

• Tight or pointy shoes can cause bunions

• The joint at the base of your big toe can get inflamed and eventually develop arthritis

• Sometimes, wearing wider shoes or using bunion pads in your shoes is enough to ease the pain

• If needed, doctors do surgery to reshape or remove some bone

Bunion

A bunion is a bump at the base of the big toe. A bursa (fluid-filled sac) may develop over the joint and become inflamed and painful (bursitis).

A bunion can develop when something forces your big toe in toward your other toes. Causes of bunions include:

• Rolling your foot in when you walk (overpronation), which is most common if you have flat feet

• Wearing tight or pointy shoes, particularly with high heels

Once you have a bunion, pressure or stress on it makes it inflamed. Inflammation causes pain and swelling. Eventually you may have permanent pain and swelling (osteoarthritis).

Symptoms of bunions include:

• Pain in your toe joint when wearing narrow or tight shoes

• Swelling, redness, and warmth

• Limited motion of the toe joint

Doctors can usually tell if you have bunions by looking at your feet. They may also:

• Do x-rays

If doctors aren't sure whether you have another problem such as gout or a joint infection, they may:

• Take some fluid out of the joint using a needle and send it to a lab for testing

Doctors treat bunions by having you:

Bunionectomy

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• Wear shoes with a wide toe area

• Put bunion pads in your shoes

• Tape your foot

• Wear special devices in your shoes (orthotics)

If those don’t work, doctors may also:

• Inject corticosteroids into the bunion

• Do surgery (bunionectomy)