bunions in Scottsdale, AZ
Have you ever noticed a bony bump on your foot? Maybe even on both feet? Yikes! While it might not be painful, it can look odd, causing you to cover your feet—it might be a bunion. At Put Your Feet First, Dr. Forman, our podiatrist in Scottsdale, wants to make sure your feet can be shown to the world and are not causing you pain.

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What are Bunions?

Also called Hallux Valgus, a bunion is a bump appearing on the inside of the foot, around the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint (near the big toe). This bump is a bone protruding towards the inside of the big foot. If a bunion in Scottsdale is left untreated, it can cause severe pain and even hinder your ability to walk.

While women most commonly suffer from bunions in Scottsdale, men can also develop them. Most people will develop bunions because they are wearing poor-fitting shoes, but they can also be passed down genetically.

What are the Types of Bunions?

Bunions typically develop when the weight of your body falls unevenly on the joints and tendons in your feet. This is usually due to poor-fitting shoes or genetic deformities. The most common types of bunions include:

  • Tailors bunion: Tailor’s bunions, or a bunionette, occur when the fifth metatarsal bone, or smallest toe, begins expanding outward, forming a bony growth near the little toe.
  • Acute bunion: This condition causes bone masses to form near the toe joints because of bursitis.
  • Adolescent bunion: Teenagers may develop a bunion at the base of his or her big toe. This bunion may cause pain and can get worse over time without treatment.

How is a Bunion Treated?

If left untreated, bunions can become so painful you might end up walking differently just to relieve the pressure. Because the MTP joint helps bear and distribute body weight while standing, bunions can seriously affect the foot’s ability to function properly.

To treat bunions in Scottsdale, Dr. Mark Forman will begin with conservative methods designed to relieve pressure and restore function. The most common conservative approaches for alleviating bunions in Scottsdale include:

  • Shoe choice: Choose shoes with wide insteps, broad toes, and soft soles. Avoid shoes that are narrow, tight, or sharply pointed.
  • Custom orthotics: To relieve pressure from the affected areas, Dr. Forman, our podiatrist in Scottsdale, may recommend custom shoe inserts (orthotics).
  • Forefoot products: Products like a bunion shield, night splint, or bunion bandages may be prescribed to treat bunions in Scottsdale, AZ.

Conservative approaches like these are designed to limit the progression of the bunion, relieve pain, and provide a healthy environment for the foot. However, in more serious cases, bunion surgery may be recommended.

Talk to Dr. Forman in Scottsdale, AZ about bunions and what steps you can take to improve your condition before it worsens.