Dealing with a Cancer Diagnosis

Finding Your Footing: Tips And Tricks For Bunion Care

by For Content

There are things to be excited about when you get older — a more settled lifestyle, being past the drinking age, being able to sign your own contracts and choose a job that suits you rather than any job that will hire a high schooler — but there are also a few things that are definite downsides to your body aging up, such as random aches and pains, a less stalwart immune system, and —possibly most terrifying — bunions.

Bunions are basically just what happens when your joint that connects your big toe to the rest of your foot becomes misaligned and swollen, and can be hereditary as well as the consequence of wearing shoes that press on the joint. So how do you treat this little annoyance — or prevent it from happening in the first place? If you're looking for a few tips regarding your present-or-future bunions, then here's what you need to know.

Prepare Now

If you don't have bunions but worry about them developing, the time to act is right now. Start by purging your wardrobe of any shoes that press on the side of the knuckle of your big toe (generally the area on the side of the ball of your foot). Dress and business shoes, made for aesthetics rather than comfort, are notorious for this, but sneakers and sandals can also be culprits.

If it's absolutely necessary to wear a shoe that fits that description (pre-picked shoes by your company or for a wedding, for example), try to spend as much time as you can when you're off the clock in comfortable, supportive shoes. And as for the times when you have to wear those possibly dangerous shoes.

Think About Inserts

Luckily, there are inserts out there to lessen your chance (or severity) of pressure on the joint (and thus your chance of getting bunions altogether). These orthotic inserts can be either store-bought or custom-made to fit your foot precisely, helping to take pressure off your swollen (or potentially swollen) joint and realign your foot to get rid of the bunion. 

Inserts like these are especially helpful if you don't yet have a bunion (but fear that one is coming) or if your bunion is quite small and nearly unobtrusive. When the bunion on your foot becomes less of a minor annoyance and more of a huge problem that prevents you from doing your daily duties, you might need to see a professional for help.

Get Orthotic Help

All the preventative and helpful measures you can take on your own might be enough, but if you're in pain from your bunions even after all you can do, it's time to talk to a professional. Orthotic surgery is meant to help your feet look and feel the best they can, and a bunionectomy is specifically designed to remove the bunion that's causing so much pain.

While there can be side effects after the surgery (such as overcorrection of the direction your big toe leans or a small loss in the ability to move your big toe as well as before), and the bunion can reoccur, if your bunion is causing your quality of life to severely drop, then the best thing you can do for your health and happiness is to talk to your doctor today.

For more information, contact a company like Orthopaedic Associates Of Rochester.

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