How Bunions Affect Your Feet

About one-third of adults in the United States have bunions; the risk increases among women, people with a family history of bunions, and those with previous foot injuries. 

A bunion is a bony bump that forms at the base of your big toe joint, often causing it to stick out and crowd nearby toes. It occurs when the big toe shifts out of alignment, leading to joint instability and inflammation. Bunions develop for a variety of reasons — genetics, tight shoes, and simple wear-and-tear over time.

If you have a painful or debilitating bunion, see dual board-certified podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Jason Armstrong, DPM, in Shenandoah and Humble, Texas, for an evaluation. Treatments range from comfy shoes and pads to physical therapy or surgery in more severe cases. The key is to detect and treat bunions early to prevent them from worsening. 

Here, we explore how bunions affect your feet and what you can do about them.

6 ways bunions affect your feet

Bunions can negatively affect your feet in the following ways:

1. Pain

Because of the changes in your big toe joint and the inflammation it causes, you may feel pain in the affected foot. While a small bunion might not bother you, larger bunions often become uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating. 

2. Reduced mobility 

Bunions can cause problems bending your big toe, diminishing joint range of motion. This may reduce athletic performance, cause additional pain or burning, and even affect how you walk (your gait).

3. Numbness

Numbness can occur when the bunion compresses nearby nerves. This symptom can be bothersome and make it difficult to stay active or play sports. Fortunately, treatment with Dr. Armstrong can ease numbness, tingling, and other annoying bunion symptoms. 

4. Corns, calluses, and blisters

Corns, calluses, and blisters may form within areas of your skin that protrude out (because of bunions) and rub against your shoes. These complications may embarrass you, look unsightly, or become painful. 

5. Hammertoes

Bunions may cause you to develop hammertoes, making the affected toes stay locked in a bent position and become tight, stiff, and often painful.

6. Other potential concerns 

In addition to corns, calluses, blisters, and hammertoes, additional complications linked to bunions may include bursitis (painful fluid-filled sacs around the affected joints) and osteoarthritis, which can cause debilitating joint discomfort when left untreated. Metatarsalgia is another potential bunion complication, causing pain and swelling in the ball of your foot. 

You might also have difficulty fitting comfortably into certain types of shoes, walking, or working out due to the bony, protruding foot deformity that’s a hallmark sign of bunions. 

Seeking treatment for bunions

Jason Armstrong, DPM, offers numerous bunion treatments based on the severity of your condition, treatment preferences, and lifestyle. 

He may suggest custom-fitted shoe inserts (orthotics), bunion padding or taping, comfortable shoes, physical therapy, ice, rest, corticosteroid injections, or anti-inflammatory medications. He also offers bunion surgery to correct big toe joint irregularities, restore normal musculoskeletal structure and function, optimize joint range of motion, and ease pain. 

Find a personalized solution for painful bunions with Dr. Armstrong. Contact us today by phone or request an appointment online.