6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Ignore Your Bunions

Jul 13, 2022

Bunions are more than cosmetic issues and ignoring them isn’t a good idea. Some bunions become so painful it can be difficult to put your shoe on or walk.

You may think you can ignore the bump on the side of your big toe, commonly referred to as a bunion, by not wearing sandals or other shoes that highlight its appearance. But bunions present more than cosmetic concerns.

Bunions are a deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTJ) between the first long bone of your foot and the first long bone in your big toe. When the metatarsal moves out of alignment it pushes the phalanx toward your second toe and creates a visible bump on the side of your toe.

While some bunions are asymptomatic, they can worsen over time. Norris Morrison, DPM, Lateef Lawal, DPM, and Brian Constantine, DPM, at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle Inland Empire in Corona and Ontario, California, recommend bunion treatment before it becomes an issue.

Why bother with bunion treatments if the bunion isn’t causing discomfort or pain? Here are six reasons you shouldn’t ignore your bunions:

  1. Bunions can lead to bursitis

Misaligned MTJ can rub against the bursae inside your joint. Bursae provide cushioning to support your muscles and tendons, but stress on the bursae causes a painful inflammatory condition called bursitis. 

If bursitis doesn’t respond to treatment, you may require surgery.

  1. You’ll need new shoes

How many pairs of shoes do you have? Imagine waking up one day to find none of them fit anymore! 

As bunions continue to grow and force your toes out of proper alignment, your shoes will no longer fit. You may have to buy different styles of shoes to accommodate the large bump on the side of your toe, too.

Unless you want to wear the same boring pair of wide-toed athletic shoes day after day, you shouldn’t ignore your bunions!

  1. Bunions make walking painful

Untreated bunions continue to push the toes further out of alignment. As the toes rub against each other, corns and calluses form between the toes, causing discomfort.

Over time, the MTJ worsens and the bunion may start rubbing against the side of your shoes. If you change the way you walk or stand to accommodate the misalignment, you can create problems for the rest of your foot or even the rest of your body.

While placing bunion pads in your shoes can help relieve discomfort, as can wearing wider-toed shoes, bunions won’t get better on their own.

  1. Bunions may cause hammertoe

Hammertoe is a condition involving an abnormal bend in the middle joint of your toe. A large bunion can force your toes out of alignment and cause hammertoe in the second, third, and fourth toes.

Hammertoe can freeze in the downward curve position, making it impossible to move the last joint of the toe. Physical therapy may help hammertoe but it often requires surgical treatment.

  1. Bunions can cause inflammation of the ball of your foot

Metatarsalgia, a painful inflammatory condition of the ball of your foot, develops gradually as bunions push the bones of your toes and feet out of alignment.

If the team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle Inland Empire diagnoses metatarsalgia, you may require metatarsal pads, range-of-motion treatments, or orthotic devices.

  1. Bunions can lead to arthritis

If you experience tenderness or pain in your first toe and joint, your bunion may have developed into osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is when the cushioning cartilage between joints wears away and the bones rub against each other.

Arthritis can ache even when you’re not walking or moving around. 

Advanced Care Foot and Ankle Inland Empire may suggest physical therapy, steroids, or orthotics to improve arthritis.

Get bunion treatment

If you notice the growth of a bump on the outside of your big toe or experience foot pain, don’t wait. Schedule an appointment with the experienced and compassionate team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle Inland Empire for an evaluation and treatment plan.

Treating your bunion before it causes painful complications may prevent the need for surgery. Call today or schedule an appointment online.