Bunions

What is a bunion?

Bunions are very common in adults. Bunions don’t always cause pain but if you find yours is painful or it’s limiting your regular activities, there are things that you can do to improve and manage this problem.

What is a bunion?

A bunion, also known as ‘hallux valgus’, is a change in shape of the big toe joint in which the big toe points towards your smaller toes leading to a bony lump on the side of the foot. A large sac of fluid, known as a bursa, may also appear, and this may become inflamed and sore. 

What causes them?

Bunions are most often caused by our genetic foot shape. Poorly fitting footwear tends to aggravate the problem as tight or narrow footwear can squeeze the forefoot, crowding the toes together and exacerbating the underlying condition, causing pain and deformity of the joint. 

Bunions can also be caused by age, osteoarthritis, trauma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms may include:

• A change in the shape of the big toe joint.
• Not everyone will get pain, but those who do describe anything from a toothache-like pain, to a sharp, searing pain.
• The bunion may cause problems with footwear which in turn, causes rubbing on the skin: which can become very red and painful on the surface.
• There may be a deep pain in the big toe joint itself.
• Stiffness of the big toe joint.
• Clicking of the joint, which may or may not be painful.

Factors that may play a role in the development of bunions:

There are multiple causes of bunions. Bunions tend to run in families and the most likely cause is the shape of the bones in your foot. For example, if your metatarsal head (the bone just behind the base of your big toe) is very rounded, it will make it easier for the joint to turn to the side when sideways pressure is applied. That sideways pressure usually comes from footwear. Though it is not a cause in itself, footwear will apply the force to make the bunion develop.