5 Misconceptions about Bunions and Bunion Surgery
If your feet aren’t working properly, it can affect your quality of life, from activities of daily living to participation in sports and exercise. And bunions can severely impact foot health. Two-thirds of Americans will have a bunion during their lifetime. The majority of them are women; the incidence increases with age, and one study suggests that family history could be a factor.
Yet, for a foot condition that is so common, many people are poorly informed about its cause, nature, and treatment.
A bunion is a visible bump on the joint at the base of the big toe, causing it to bend toward the other toes rather than point straight ahead. The symptoms are pain, inflammation, redness, a burning sensation, and sometimes numbness.
Five myths
1. Bunions are caused by tight or ill-fitting shoes. While wearing shoes that crowd the toes is a common cause of bunions, genetics (yes, you can inherit your mother’s foot), flat feet, and even trauma are known to cause bunions.
2. Bunions affect only women. Not so; both men and women can develop bunions, but women are far more likely to be affected—as much as 10 times more likely, according to one study. High heels and ill-fitting, but fashionable, shoes may account for the higher percentage of women reporting bunions. Shoes can rub against the bunion, put pressure on it, and cause blisters.
3. Surgery is the only treatment for bunions. Surgery should be a last-resort treatment, to be used only when conservative treatments have failed. Among the non-surgical treatments are:
- Loose-fitting or wider toe-box shoes
- Shoe padding over the bunion area
- Toe spacers (a pad that goes in between the first and second toes)
- Avoiding activities that cause pain (e.g., standing for long periods of time)
- Medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen)
- Cold applications (ice packs several times a day)
- Corticosteroid injections (rarely used)
- Orthotics (possibly, but they can take up too much room inside the shoe)
4. Recovery from surgery is extended and the procedure is not very successful.
“That is a common misunderstanding,” says Alan Catanzariti, DPM, a Pittsburgh-based foot and ankle surgeon. “The reality is that the surgery has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, and recovery time is much shorter.”
A study presented at the 2015 Scientific Conference of American Society of Foot and Ankle Surgeons showed that a majority of bunion surgery patients could walk independently with a surgical shoe or walking boot soon after surgery. New fixation devices, anesthetic techniques, and orthotics have made recovery quicker and less painful.
As long as people are realistic about the shoes they wear post-surgery, there is little chance that a bunion will return, according to an ACFAS spokesperson.
5. Bunions will get better without treatment. Once they develop, bunions are progressive. They won’t get better and can get worse.
“Failure to treat a symptomatic bunion can result in degenerative changes in the great toe joint or severe progression,” warns Dr. Catanzariti. “Patients might then be limited in terms of options.”
See a specialist. If a bunion is becoming visibly worse, resulting in pain and difficulty finding shoes that fit, have the bunion evaluated by an orthopaedic or podiatric surgeon. Most bunions can be treated without surgery, but the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society warns that procedures advertised as “simple” or “minimal” may do more harm than good.
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