I have an appointment with my doctor next week as I fear I’m starting to develop bunions on both feet.
My big toes are starting to point towards my second toe, and the top joint of the second toe is tilted outwards at an increasingly large angle.
There’s no pain yet, and the deviation is minor but clearly noticeable. I’m hoping that the earlier it’s caught the easier treatment will be, but I have a feeling there’s not a lot that can be done at this stage, apart from insoles etc to prevent it getting too bad too quickly.
Would be interested in hearing other experiences, as there seems to be a lot of different takes on the subject.*
What age did you get them? Was it related to footwear or family history etc? Did you end up having surgery? Has it caused lasting problems?
For info I’m an otherwise active and healthy 32 y/old male with wide, shallow, size UK11 (US11.5/12) feet. I’ve never worn pointed shoes, but I understand bunions can be linked to the shape of the foot and how you walk (I tend to pronate which places extra pressure on the big toes).
My grandma had awful problems with her feet in later life, so sadly it looks like I’ve inherited the same issues. My 2 y/old daughter has the same pronation so I guess she’ll be in line for bunions at some point in the future.
For some reason this has really upset me, much more than I expected - I’ve tried to look after my toes but despite my best efforts they are going south regardless.
*(As noted above I’m seeing my doctor for medical advice - I’m interested in Dopers’ experiences with treatment, timescales and outcomes only).
Before we met, my wife had 'em so bad in college that she elected for surgery on both feet. Uncomfortable as that was I don’t think she has any regrets now. I understand they’d become pretty intolerable.
In her case it was genetic as her Mom has 'em and I’ve seen her sister’s feet too. :eek: I’d never have guessed bone could angle and distort so.
If they’re mild, then you might be able to massage 'em back into place. I’ve treated some pretty bad ones this way. Bunions are not, as many people believe, always caused by extra bone. Many of them are simply misplaced bone - the end of the phalange that should be within the joint is forced outward as the tip of the toe is forced inward. Toes that should line up like ||||| end up like /|||| and presto, there’s your bunion at the side of the foot. If untreated, this pointy out end can indeed form a bone callus, and that needs to be treated surgically, but if yours aren’t that bad yet, they may just need better shoes and manipulation.
The massage technique is to massage, rather deeply, between the bones of the foot, concentrating on the ones connected to the joint and the next one over. Gently dig your fingertips in there and rub in any direction you can. Next, grab two adjoining big bones in your foot, the metatarsals, and “scissor” them perpendicularly to the place of the foot and gently tug on the toe to bring it back into alignment. I like to do the whole arch of the foot in turn, and also work on the ankle, not just the obviously affected bones, because I think when something is pulled out of alignment, it probably affects the rest of the stuff attached to it. I want that whole foot strong and flexible so the natural arch of the foot goes the way it’s supposed to. If I’m specifically treating bunions, I’ll work on each foot for at least 10 minutes, 20 if I’ve got 'em, at least once a day, more if you can.
If you’re diligent at the massage and manipulation, you should see visible results within 2 weeks. If you don’t see a difference, then it’s not helping, and you need to try something else.
Excellent - thanks for this. I’m hoping it might just be misaligned tendons rather than a full bone deformity at this stage, so stretching etc may well help it.
My brother has them, and he has some sort of pressure thingy he wears around the house in the evenings, and to bed. Let me google and see if I can find them.
It seems to work for him, and keep in mind I’m not a doctor and all that =)
It might be wise to get your sprout to a podiatrist and have him check her feets out. It might be wise to get both of you proper orthotics and nip the bunion formation in the bud.
I’ve got one of those from the foot doctor. Cost me a bit more than at your site.
The doctor explained to me that my bunion was probably due to a torn ligament on the outside of my big toe. When the muscles pull, the weak ligament causes the toe to draw inward and the base of the toe bone, at the joint, is forced outward. Apparently it’s a delicate balancing act with the toes and their muscles and a little help in the form of the brace or massage can really help out. I haven’t worn the brace enough to tell yet.
I had them rather badly and had surgery on both feet when I was 15. In my case it was genetic - my great great grandmother apparently had them so badly she didn’t wear shoes most of the time. My little sister had them as well.
I went to the doctor when the joint started hurting three or four times a day. It hurt like someone wearing cleats was putting their whole weight on that joint and grinding down - the pain never lasted very long but it was certainly intense. I ignored it as long as I could and then, when I went to the doctor for an unrelated thing, I mentioned it at the end of the checkup. I’d never seen a doctor stare blankly in shock before. I guess having them that bad as a teenager is practically unheard of.
Now whenever a doctor asks if I have ever had surgery they always want to look at my feet, and most of them exclaim how excellent the range of motion in my toes is. To me the range isn’t all that great - the joint feels a bit frozen - but I guess if you’re older and get the surgery you’re going to have very limited motion in your big toe.
There were several interesting result of the surgery:
I have metal in my feet now that sometimes vibrates if I jump from too tall a height. It also sometimes hurts at the change in seasons, or if my feet get too hot.
I went up a shoe size - I was already a US size 10, so that US size 11 was kind of a disappointment. Still can’t find shoes anywhere.
Cramps in the instep hurt a loooooot more now. I used to be a swimmer and it was difficult to get the correct kick motion. My coach had no sympathy for me groaning and hanging on the side of the pool.
There was more, but I think that’s enough for now. Suffice to say that the surgery itself is really involved (I almost passed out when they described it to me) and the recovery is as well.
I had bunion surgery about 10 years ago on my left foot. In my case it’s genetic – all the women on my mother’s side of the family had them. I was also quite pigeon-toed as a kid and had to wear special shoes for a number of years.
Like Elysian said, the pain became so unbearable that surgery was the only option. Couple that with a job where you’re on your feet for 8+ hours a day…
I was surprised at first how long recovery lasted. The doc had to literally break my toe and put it back together using a hook-like contraption which stuck out of my instep at an angle. I could feel it move every time I wiggled my foot or whatnot (it’s giving me shudders just thinking about it). I also had to wear a special shoe for a month. Couldn’t walk without crutches for the first couple of weeks, couldn’t drive, couldn’t work.
However, I’ve been pain free ever since. It hasn’t returned. Now about the bunion on my other foot…
