Tight-fitting shoes can lead to bunions

Tag : angle fitting

Q. I have been reading your column for years but have not seenanything about bunions. I am a 47-year-old female and have bunionson both of my feet. I work in retail and have to stand all day. Attimes, the bunions and my feet become very tender and start to burnand tingle. I would rather not have surgery if there are othersuccessful treatment options. Could you please discuss correctivetreatments and give your opinion on which is the best?
A. Bunions occur when the big toe points toward the second toe,resulting in a bump at the toe joint on the side of the foot.Bunions occur much more frequently in women and are often theresult of repeatedly wearing narrow-toed, high-heeled shoes forextended periods of time. Symptoms include a bony bump at the jointof the big toe, joint pain (worsened by wearing tight shoes), a redcallous at the base of the toe, and, as stated above, a big toethat points inward toward the others.
Diagnosis can often be made by visual inspection alone, but X-rayswill show the joint angle abnormality and, in some cases, arthritisof the joint. There aren't many treatment options.
When a bunion first starts to develop, taking good care of yourfeet and wearing wide-toed shoes can relieve the pain and preventfurther damage and the need for further treatment. Wearingcushioning material, such as bunion pads, when wearing shoes orusing toe separators at night may also help. © 2008 NewspaperEnterprise Association
Copyright 2008 Newspaper Enterprise Association