Bunion Treatment

What is a Bunion?

A bunion (hallux valgus) is a bony prominence or swollen tissue. It’s usually located at the base of the big toe. This condition makes the toe angle inward toward the adjacent toes. Thus, throwing the bones out of alignment. Then causing pain, redness and rubbing against footwear.

A bunion can change the normal foot shape. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to find fitted shoes. They can get severe enough to make it difficult to walk. When one develops in the little toe, however, it is called bunionette.

As the bump gets larger, though, the bunion can worsen and become painful. If you suspect that you are experiencing bunion issues, schedule an appointment. Our lead podiatrists in South Florida specializes in bunion treatment.

Genetic factors are important considering that bunions have a tendency to run in families. Although, the major cause is prolonged wearing of ill-fitting shoes. Therefore, it’s not recommended to wear tight, narrow fitted shoes. Considering it will then compress the toes and exert excessive pressure while walking. However, conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis are also known to cause bunions.

Bunion Symptoms

Pain and tenderness
Swelling
Change in the shape of the foot
A shift of the toe towards the adjacent toe
A bony mass at the joint surface of the big toe
Restricted movements of the big toe

Bunion Treatment

Most bunions can be treated with medication to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Additional conservative methods include:

Applying ice packs
Cortisone steroid injections
Wider shoes to remove the pressure
Bunion pads or cushions

Furthermore, Selecting proper footwear is critical. Specifically to reduce pain and prevent it from worsening. However, when non-surgical treatments fail, surgery may be considered. Although this would depend on many factors, such as pain.

Surgical Options for Bunion

When a bunion does not respond to conservative treatment, surgery may be considered. The most common surgical method of bunion removal, however, is called a bunionectomy. The goal of this surgery is to relieve pain and restore the normal position and function of the big toe. This surgical procedure includes excising the swollen tissue. Then straighten out the toe or permanently joining (fusion) the bones of the affected bone.

Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

Dr. Alan MacGill was the first podiatric surgeon in the South Florida area to perform minimally invasive bunion surgery!

What’s the difference?

There are several differences between minimally invasive bunion surgery and traditional surgery. There are perks of having minimally invasive surgery, such as:

Less postoperative pain
Less recovery time
Smaller incision means minimal scars

Furthermore, this procedure is only approved to be performed by the top foot specialists. In particular, these specialists have been specially trained for this procedure.

For a preferred bunion surgeon in Broward or Palm Beach County call us today at 954-906-9272 to schedule a consultation. For a South Florida foot doctor located in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs & Plantation, contact us today.