Is that a bulge in your shoe?

Not to be vulgar but is that bulge painful?  Is your big toe deviating towards the second toe? If yes, chances are you might be developing a bunion. A bunion, also known as Hallux Valgus, is quite painful and once you start having them, they can make your path through life quite painful. 

Bunions

I wanted to tackle the next question by Anonymous:


Hello, 
I want to know if braces for bunions works and does it help to diminish the size of it.Thank your help. Great blog.


Dear Anonymous:


There's a lot of factors that comes into mind when you ask me this very pertinent question. First, is it just your big toe that is deviating or if it's a bunion already. Since I usually see this foot problem more frequently in the elderly, they usually had the operation done by now and sometimes, the bunions have come back.


At this point to give you my best response and not to mislead anyone, I went to one of my teachers for a correct response since she has 25 yrs of experience in nursing footcare. I have heard of the bunion braces/splints but have never seen them on my clients yet.


Her response to your question:
"Depends on whether or not you are trying to correct a “bunion” or deviation of the great toe. A splint is only effective in alignment of the toe.  They are effective however require wearing several hours of the day every day.  If this is done then there is effectiveness.  However the problem lies in lengthy adherence as they are not comfortable.  In these cases, I usually try to refer for orthotics."

Definition of a bunion:


The big toe is deviating towards the second toe, making the joint of the big toe protrude in the other direction. Intense pain, inflammation and build up of callous may occurs.


Even though there is many factors to bunion, here are 3 of the main causes:


1: Hereditary, meaning some members of your family already have them and most likely you will too. 


2: Rheumatoid arthritis is another factor and last but not least.....


3: Footwear, by that I mean high heels with a toe box that is narrow and pointy. The toe box is not providing enough space to accommodate your toes comfortably. Because the heel is high, your whole body weight is being concentrated on the joint of your big toe.


If you are going to try a bunion brace, make sure to talk to your doctor before you do, follow the instructions thoroughly, remember not to overdo it either because everything in moderation is a wise rule. Making sure your footwear is a quarter inch wider than the widest part of your foot is a another thing to remember when looking for new shoes.


Always talk to your physician if you are diabetic and if your health is compromised. The bunion braces/splints are usually not recommended for the diabetics.


I hope you liked the information I provided, I hope it helps making a better decision and thank you for reading my blog.